Warner Bros. Discovery has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Midjourney, alleging the AI image generator built its business on unauthorized use of the studio’s movies and TV shows. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the complaint was filed Thursday in California federal court and centers on the service returning depictions of iconic characters owned by the company.
Studio alleges “mass theft” of IP
The complaint accuses Midjourney of “brazenly” dispensing Warner Bros. Discovery intellectual property by enabling subscribers to produce images and videos of copyrighted characters. A company spokesperson said the suit aims to protect its content, partners, and investments.
The filing cites examples comparing Midjourney outputs to studio works, including prompts like “Batman, screencap from The Dark Knight” that returned imagery resembling Christian Bale’s portrayal with the costume’s Kevlar plate design, and a 3D-animated Bugs Bunny mirroring his appearance in Space Jam: A New Legacy. The complaint also points to outputs of Superman, Wonder Woman, The Joker, Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, and Cartoon Network properties such as Rick and Morty.
Warner Bros. Discovery argues that Midjourney’s ability to reproduce these characters is a “clear draw for subscribers,” diverting consumers from licensed posters, wall art, and prints. The studio seeks Midjourney’s profits attributable to the alleged infringement or statutory damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work.
Wider industry fight over AI training
Disney and Universal join similar claims
The case arrives amid broader disputes over AI training on internet-scraped data without compensation to creators. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Disney and Universal earlier this year teamed up to sue Midjourney, with both companies stating commitments to protecting creative artists and intellectual property.
The complaint references public statements about AI training processes, including a 2022 interview in which Midjourney founder David Holz said employees “grab everything they can” and “dump it in a huge file” to train systems. The specifics of Midjourney’s training will be subject to discovery. Midjourney, which offers four paid tiers ranging from $10 to $120 per month, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, per the report.
The outcome may turn on fair use, the doctrine allowing creators to build upon copyrighted works without a license. Earlier this year, a court found Amazon-backed Anthropic on solid legal ground regarding training, while still setting a trial over allegations of illegally downloading books before that case settled. The Hollywood Reporter adds that other major studios remain on the sidelines as the legal battles over generative AI continue.
