The lawsuit highlights examples of images generated by Midjourney that feature copyrighted characters such as Homer Simpson and Darth Vader. Despite requests for comment, Midjourney has not responded. This legal action comes amid broader discussions in the tech industry about the use of copyrighted works for AI training, with companies like OpenAI advocating for the ability to train on publicly available works without needing explicit permission or compensation. Meanwhile, some film and television studios have cautiously explored generative AI technologies.
Key takeaways:
- Disney and Universal have sued Midjourney for allegedly using their content without permission to train its AI models.
- The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and includes examples of copyrighted characters generated by Midjourney.
- The studios are seeking monetary damages, a jury trial, and an order to stop Midjourney from further copyright infringement.
- Tech companies have been advocating for the ability to train AI models on publicly available works, including copyrighted ones, without needing authorization or compensation.