Disney & NBCUniversal v. Midjourney

Generative AI copyright clash: Disney and NBCUniversal accuse Midjourney of systematic infringement via unauthorized use of iconic characters.

Short Description

On June 11, 2025, Disney and NBCUniversal jointly filed a 110-page lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, accusing the AI image generation company Midjourney of copyright infringement.

The studios allege that Midjourney trained its AI models using their copyrighted characters and properties—like Star Wars, Aladdin, Frozen, Marvel, Shrek, Minions, and more—without authorization, and then allowed users to generate images and videos featuring those characters, profiting from this activity through paid subscriptions.

Facts

Plaintiffs:

Disney and NBCUniversal — global leaders in the entertainment industry with extensive intellectual property portfolios.

Defendant:

Midjourney — a San Francisco-based AI company specializing in generative image creation.

Key Allegations:

Midjourney used copyrighted Disney and NBCUniversal characters without permission to train its AI models.

The platform displayed highly similar, sometimes exact copies of protected characters and scenes.

Midjourney earned revenue through subscription plans while ignoring repeated cease-and-desist letters.

Findings & Key Legal Claims

The lawsuit raises major legal issues involving AI and copyright:

Direct Copyright Infringement

Midjourney allegedly reproduced and displayed copyrighted characters without authorization.

Secondary / Contributory Infringement

The company enabled users to generate infringing works, thus facilitating widespread copyright violations.

Willful Infringement

Disney and NBCUniversal claim that Midjourney knowingly continued infringement, improving its model's ability to replicate their works while profiting significantly.

Suggestions & Implications

This case may set a landmark precedent for AI companies that train on copyrighted materials.

Courts could require licenses for AI training datasets and strict filtering mechanisms for generated content.

Entertainment companies are likely to collaborate in monitoring AI tools and enforcing their intellectual property rights.

It may lead to new AI copyright laws or updated policies globally.

Case Status & Developments

Complaint Filed	June 11, 2025
Court	U.S. District Court, Central District of California
Current Status	Awaiting trial; possible preliminary injunction under consideration
Future Litigation	Warner Bros. Discovery filed a similar lawsuit in September 2025