Why are Disney and Universal suing AI photo generation company Midjourney? Details of copyright infringement lawsuit explored

Universal City Studios and Disney initiated legal proceedings against the AI company, Midjourney, on June 11, 2025, due to copyright infringement issues. The two companies look forward to a jury trial in the matter.

According to a report by CNBC Television, the AI company generated copyrighted images using characters like Darth Vader and Minions. The two companies had previously warned Midjourney against using the copyrighted images. Despite that, the company ignored the instructions.

Meanwhile, Disney released a statement in light of the events, stating:

“Our world-class IP is built on decades of financial investment, creativity and innovation-investments only made possible by the incentives embodied in copyright law that give creators the exclusive right to profit from their works.”

The statement went on:

“We are bullish on the promise of Al technology and optimistic about how it can be used responsibly as a tool to further human creativity. But piracy is piracy, and the fact that it's done by an Al company does not make it any less infringing.”

According to CNN, the studios described Midjourney as a tool that endlessly produced unapproved copies of Disney and Universal content, comparing it to a vending machine that constantly delivered plagiarized material.

Meanwhile, Charles Rivkin, the head of the Motion Picture Association, emphasized that copyright protection had been essential to the entertainment industry.

He believed it was important to balance AI, defending creative rights while also supporting thoughtful and people-focused innovation. He said this would help the U.S. stay ahead globally in creative fields.

How much are Disney and Universal pursuing from Midjourney as compensation?

According to the complaint, the AI company had already set up technology to block the sharing of certain images, including violent or adult content. It also mentioned that other AI platforms had systems to respect and protect the rights of content creators like Disney and Universal.

The two companies sought $150,000 for each work that was infringed, along with a court order to stop Midjourney from violating copyright laws in the future, among other forms of compensation. One of the pointers in the complaint mentions:

“Midjourney could easily stop its theft and exploitation of Plaintiffs’ intellectual property. Midjourney controls what copyrighted content it selects, copies, and includes in its Image Service, and it has the means to implement protection measures to prevent the ongoing copying, public display, and distribution of Plaintiffs’ works.”

Additionally, it states:

“Midjourney already has in place technological measures to prevent its distribution and public display of certain images and artwork such as violence or nudity. And other AI image- and video-generating services have instituted copyright protection measures that recognize and protect the rights of content creators like Disney and Universal.”

The complaint accused the AI company of running a profitable business by making and distributing unapproved copies of Disney and Universal's copyrighted content. The company was said to offer subscriptions that let users access and download versions of these protected characters.

According to the complaint, the infringement was ongoing and intentional and had already caused serious harm to the studios. Disney and Universal filed the lawsuit to put an end to what they described as intellectual property theft and to protect the rights of original creators.

Also Read: “Losing lots of money servicing that demand”: AI CEO reveals how companies are losing money on trends like Studio Ghibli style

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback