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Warner Brothers Discovery has entered into the AI Copyright fight against Midjourney
Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD) has officially entered the growing legal battle over how artificial intelligence uses copyrighted works, filing a lawsuit against Midjourney in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles according to reporting by Deadline. The case claims that Midjourney is engaging in “theft” of its intellectual property by allowing subscribers to generate images and videos featuring some of WBD’s most iconic characters without permission.
Related: Disney and Universal Sue A.I. Firm for Copyright Infringement
According to the lawsuit, Midjourney users can prompt the system to create pictures of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Scooby-Doo, and other Warner Bros. favorites, even when using broad phrases like “classic comic book superhero battle.” WBD’s legal team argues that Midjourney not only used copyrighted works to train its AI models but also actively markets its service by showing off these recognizable characters, directly competing with WBD’s own content.
“Midjourney thinks it is above the law,” WBD’s attorneys wrote. “It sells a commercial subscription service powered by copyrighted works, distributing infringing images and unauthorized derivatives with every imaginable scene featuring those characters.”
The lawsuit mirrors claims made earlier this summer by Disney and NBCUniversal, who also sued Midjourney over alleged misuse of their libraries. Together, the three studios represent some of the most influential names in Hollywood.
Warner Bros. Discovery emphasized its duty to protect creators, with a spokesperson saying, “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. Midjourney is blatantly and purposefully infringing copyrighted works, and we filed this suit to protect our content, our partners, and our investments.”
Midjourney, meanwhile, has argued that its platform is a tool for user expression and that training AI models on copyrighted works falls under fair use. The company has also suggested that rights holders should rely on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s notice-and-takedown process, which allows platforms to remove infringing material when notified.
Related: Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery Announce Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle
The Motion Picture Association (MPA), which represents studios including Warner Bros., Disney, and NBCU, released a statement of support: “We remain concerned that copyright infringement, left unchecked, threatens the entire American motion picture industry, which supports over 2 million jobs in all 50 states and drives countless economic, social, and cultural benefits.”
Adding fuel to the policy debate, Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal recently introduced legislation that would require AI companies to get explicit permission to use copyrighted works for training models. While the bill faces an uphill climb in Congress, its introduction highlights growing bipartisan concern about how unchecked AI could reshape creative industries.
Disney and NBCU both welcomed Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to join the fight. “We welcome the growing momentum behind safeguarding America’s creative industry against bad actors,” Disney said, while NBCU stressed that “creative artists are the backbone of our industry, and we are committed to protecting their work and our intellectual property.”
With three of Hollywood’s biggest powerhouses now lined up against Midjourney, the case could set a defining precedent in the tug-of-war between copyright law and emerging AI technologies.
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