Warner Bros. Discovery Takes AI Image Generator to Court Over Copyright Violations

Warner Bros. Discovery has filed a lawsuit against the AI image generator Midjourney, claiming the company used its movies and TV shows without permission to train its technology.

The case, filed in federal court in California on Thursday, marks another step in the growing legal battles between major studios and AI companies.

The lawsuit says Midjourney, which has millions of users, lets subscribers create images and videos featuring characters from Warner Bros. Discovery’s properties.

These include DC Comics heroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Joker, as well as Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, and Cartoon Network characters such as those from Rick and Morty.

“The heart of what we do is develop stories and characters to entertain our audiences, bringing to life the vision and passion of our creative partners,” a Warner Bros. Discovery spokesperson said. “Midjourney is blatantly and purposefully infringing copyrighted works, and we filed this suit to protect our content, our partners, and our investments.”

The company joins Disney and Universal, which previously sued Midjourney over similar concerns.

Disney said it is “committed to protecting our creators and innovators” and welcomed Warner Bros. Discovery to the case. NBCUniversal also issued a statement saying, “Creative artists are the backbone of our industry, and we are committed to protecting their work and our intellectual property.”

According to the lawsuit, Midjourney produces images of copyrighted characters even when users do not directly reference them. The studio provided examples comparing images generated by the AI to scenes from its movies and shows, showing that the AI closely replicates copyrighted material.

Warner Bros. Discovery argues that this ability draws users to Midjourney instead of buying official merchandise like posters and prints.

Midjourney’s AI training methods remain largely secret. In 2022, founder David Holz said in an interview that the company collects massive amounts of online content to train its system. This process, the lawsuit notes, may involve using copyrighted material without permission.

The case also touches on the legal question of fair use, which allows limited use of copyrighted works without a license.

Courts have yet to fully clarify how fair use applies to AI training. Earlier this year, a similar case involving Anthropic, an AI company, found that training AI on copyrighted works may be allowed, though the company eventually settled a related lawsuit.

Warner Bros. Discovery is seeking either the profits linked to the alleged infringement or $150,000 for each work used, which could result in substantial damages. The outcome may set an important precedent for how AI companies can use copyrighted content in the future.

This lawsuit highlights the growing tension between creative industries and AI technology. While AI tools are powerful and innovative, they raise serious questions about the rights of creators. It will be interesting to see how the courts balance innovation with protecting intellectual property. What do you think about AI using copyrighted works? Share your thoughts in the comments.