Warner Bros. has filed a lawsuit against AI company Midjourney, accusing it of copyright infringement for enabling users to generate images and videos of iconic characters such as Superman, Batman, and Bugs Bunny without authorization.
The complaint, first reported by Reuters, alleges that Midjourney knowingly allowed the creation of infringing content. According to Warner Bros., the company had previously implemented restrictions on generating protected characters but later removed those safeguards. The studio argues that this was a deliberate, profit-driven choice that disregarded the rights of copyright holders.
“Midjourney has made a calculated and profit-driven decision to offer zero protection for copyright owners even though Midjourney knows about the breathtaking scope of its piracy and copyright infringement,” Warner Bros. wrote in the filing.
The lawsuit demands an injunction to prevent further unauthorized use, the return of any profits made through the alleged violations, and unspecified damages.
This case comes just months after Disney and Universal launched similar lawsuits against Midjourney, claiming the startup facilitated infringement by allowing users to create AI-generated depictions of characters including Darth Vader, Bart Simpson, and Shrek. Midjourney has previously argued that training generative AI models on copyrighted works falls under fair use in U.S. copyright law, a defense that has yet to be fully tested in court.
The outcome of these lawsuits could set significant precedents for how copyright applies to AI-generated content. If courts side with the studios, AI platforms may be forced to implement stricter controls on user prompts and training data. If Midjourney prevails, it could strengthen the fair use argument for AI developers across the industry.
