Engadget
Follow
Warner Bros. Discovery is suing Midjourney for copyright infringement
Warner Bros. Discovery is suing Midjourney, an AI image generator, for copyright infringement. The lawsuit alleges Midjourney illegally uses copyrighted images and videos of Warner Bros. characters like Batman and Bugs Bunny to train its AI. Midjourney's subscription service directly benefits from this unauthorized use, generating significant revenue. Warner Bros. argues Midjourney initially blocked some character generation but recently removed these restrictions. The lawsuit provides examples comparing Midjourney-generated images to original Warner Bros. content, highlighting the similarity. A similar lawsuit was filed against Midjourney by Disney and Universal Studios earlier this year. Warner Bros. seeks substantial statutory damages for Midjourney's alleged willful infringement. The company claims Midjourney prioritizes profit over compliance with copyright law. The lawsuit highlights the ongoing legal battle surrounding the use of copyrighted material in training AI image generators. Warner Bros. awaits Midjourney's response.