Disney and Universal Studios have filed a federal lawsuit against artificial intelligence company Midjourney, accusing it of mass-producing unauthorized images of their most iconic characters.
In a complaint submitted to a Los Angeles district court, the entertainment powerhouses claim Midjourney’s AI image generator creates unlicensed visuals featuring characters such as Star Wars’ Darth Vader and Yoda, Frozen’s Elsa, and Marvel’s Spider-Man and Hulk. They argue the platform functions as a “bottomless pit of plagiarism,” profiting from their intellectual property without consent.
The lawsuit underscores Hollywood’s conflicted stance on artificial intelligence. While studios are exploring how AI can streamline production and boost creativity, many remain wary of its potential to infringe on existing copyrights.
“Piracy is piracy,” said Horacio Gutierrez, Disney’s chief legal officer. “The fact that it’s done by an AI company doesn’t make it any less infringing.”
Midjourney, based in San Francisco and led by David Holz, allows users to generate images from simple text prompts. According to the lawsuit, the startup made $300 million last year and is preparing to launch a video-generation tool.
Legal experts say the case could test the boundaries of copyright law in the AI era. “The images appear to closely resemble copyrighted characters, just placed in new scenes or contexts,” said Shubha Ghosh, a professor at Syracuse University. He noted that copyright law allows for reinterpretation, but only when the new work transforms the original in a meaningful way.
Randy McCarthy, an intellectual property attorney, warned that the lawsuit is far from straightforward. “Disney and Universal face challenges, including Midjourney’s terms of service and possible fair use defenses,” he said.
Midjourney has not yet responded to requests for comment. The company describes itself online as a small, independent research lab with fewer than a dozen full-time employees.
The dispute arrives as AI becomes more embedded in film and television. From voice modification to digital de-aging, the technology has already appeared in Oscar-nominated productions. Yet the legal and ethical implications continue to spark fierce debate across the industry.
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