Disney and Universal have taken legal action in Los Angeles, filing a suit against Midjourney – an AI image generator accused of using copyrighted images to produce unauthorised versions of beloved characters. This move aims to protect decades of creative work from what many believe is an unregulated use of protected media in AI training.
The lawsuit claims that Midjourney’s AI model relies on countless copyrighted images without proper permission. Disney’s chief legal and compliance officer, Horacio Gutierrez, describes the action as a necessary safeguard amid growing industry concerns over intellectual property in today’s digital landscape.
The case has ignited a lively discussion among legal and tech experts. They warn that the outcome could set an important precedent for AI companies that scrape online data for model training. Midjourney’s founder has noted that the model utilises a broad array of internet content, a fact that complicates the legal debate.
In a similar vein, Getty Images is pursuing legal action in London against Stability AI, alleging that its vast photo library was used without consent for model training. Getty CEO Craig Peters has been forthright in criticising the practice, arguing that using protected work without permission borders on theft rather than innovation.
These lawsuits mark a turning point for both AI developers and the creative industries. Companies like Google’s Veo and Adobe are already setting higher standards by ensuring their models are trained solely on licensed content—a move that could soon influence industry-wide practices. For anyone watching the intersection of technology and creativity, these legal battles serve as a timely reminder of the growing need for clear, fair rules in the digital age.
