The Walt Disney logo is displayed on screen during the Walt Disney Studios presentation at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 3, 2025.
Valerie Macon | AFP | Getty Images
Disney and Universal joined forces in a lawsuit against artificial intelligence image creator Midjourney, alleging copyright infringement, according to court filings.
It is the first AI copyright lawsuit from Hollywood giants.
The lawsuit claims that the company used and distributed AI-generated characters from the movie studios like Star Wars, The Simpsons and other films and alleges that Midjourney disregarded requests to stop.
Disney and Universal are demanding a jury trial, arguing that the actions threaten to “upend the bedrock incentives of U.S. copyright law.”
“Midjourney is the quintessential copyright free-rider and a bottomless pit of plagiarism,” the movie studios said, calling the actions “calculated and willful.”
The rise of AI has raised the stakes in the media industry, and sparked concerns over how to protect content from illegal copyrighting. This is one of the most significant copyright legal battles to date involving AI.
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court Central District of California.
Disclosure: Universal is owned by NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC.
