Disney and Universal Sue Midjourney Over AI Copyright

Disney and Universal Sue Midjourney Over AI Copyright

On Wednesday, entertainment giants Disney and Universal filed a 100-plus-page lawsuit against Midjourney, accusing the AI image generator of copyright infringement. The complaint alleges that Midjourney’s text-to-image and upcoming video-generation technologies reproduce characters like Yoda, Shrek, and Toothless without proper licensing.

Disney and Universal claim they reached out to Midjourney repeatedly, urging the company to block the generation of copyrighted content. According to the lawsuit, Midjourney ignored these requests and became a “bottomless pit of plagiarism,” enabling users to churn out images of Marvel heroes, Star Wars icons, and DreamWorks favorites.

• Shrek from the Shrek franchise
• Yoda and Darth Vader from Star Wars
• Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon

Their filing includes screenshots of AI-generated images mimicking famous characters, arguing these outputs underscore how the model was trained on copyrighted works. This move marks another high-stakes legal challenge in the growing battle over AI training data and intellectual property.

This case follows recent suits against Stability AI by artists and against OpenAI by publishers like The New York Times. It highlights the industry’s struggle to balance innovation and rights protection as generative AI tools become mainstream.

Yet, some studios remain open to AI’s promise. Disney’s statement emphasized optimism about AI as a creative tool when used responsibly, insisting that piracy—whether by human or machine—remains infringement.

Broader Industry Implications

As lawsuits multiply, organizations must navigate evolving IP risks in AI deployments. Companies using generative AI need transparent training pipelines, robust content filters, and clear licensing agreements to avoid similar legal entanglements.

Path Forward for AI Governance

At QuarkyByte, we recommend establishing a governance framework that audits training datasets for unlicensed material and integrates real-time monitoring for infringing outputs. By combining policy controls with technical filters, media firms can foster innovation while safeguarding creative assets.

This lawsuit is a wake-up call for AI providers and content owners alike. As the legal landscape sharpens, proactive measures will be key to turning generative AI into a compliant, collaborative force in entertainment.