Warner Bros. sues midjourney over unauthorized use of iconic characters

Warner Bros. Discovery has filed a copyright lawsuit against the AI-based visual generation platform Midjourney for allegedly copying its iconic characters without permission.

The lawsuit, submitted on Thursday to a federal court in Los Angeles, involves Warner Bros. Entertainment and its affiliates. The company claims that Midjourney users have produced images of characters such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Scooby-Doo, and Bugs Bunny without authorization.

Warner Bros. stated in the lawsuit that distinctive details, like the color of Scooby-Doo's collars, are exactly the same in images generated by Midjourney. It was also noted that users can request depictions of Superman in "specific locations" or "specific actions," thereby accessing the character's visuals.

JOINT FIGHT OF MAJOR STUDIOS

In June, Disney and Universal Pictures also filed similar lawsuits against Midjourney. With Warner Bros., it became the third major studio to initiate legal proceedings against the platform.

The company also claimed there is evidence that Midjourney knew it was violating copyright laws. Initially, the platform blocked copyrighted characters in its video generation model but later removed those restrictions. Additionally, the security-related "redteaming" practice was removed from the terms of service.

MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AT RISK

Warner Bros. is seeking compensation and injunctions to stop the violations. Penalties could reach up to $150,000 per copyright infringement, which could lead to serious financial consequences for Midjourney.

Midjourney, which has around 21 million users and is estimated to have earned $300 million in 2024, has not yet commented on the lawsuit. The platform offers subscription packages ranging from $10 to $120 per month.

PART OF A BROADER LEGAL BATTLE

The lawsuit highlights ongoing copyright conflicts between the entertainment industry and AI companies. The use of copyrighted content without permission in training AI models and content creation continues to spark debate within the industry.