This is the very real suit that Warner Bros. Discovery has actually brought against Midjourney. They are suing the AI image generation platform for allegedly permitting the intentional creation of images depicting their distinctive characters, such as Superman and Batman. The new lawsuit represents a significant paranoia about copyright infringement. It further stokes the debate over intellectual property rights in the age of AI.
The suit follows after Midjourney removed earlier limitations which barred subscribers from creating prompts derived from infringing images. Warner Bros.’s claim that this ruling represents an “egregious disregard for the rights of copyright owners.” They argue that Midjourney’s decision prioritizes profit over legal obligations.
In its complaint, Warner Bros. states, “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.” This brief announcement underscores the studio’s conviction. In short, Midjourney’s actions not only violate copyright law, they jeopardize the future of the entire creative sector.
It’s no wonder therefore that Midjourney has usurped ChatGPT at the top of this AI-Generated Carryout leaderboard. They used to prevent their users from generating images that might violate existing copyrights. The recent sneaking removal of these important protections has been cause for alarm among creators and businesses both. We applaud Warner Bros. for standing up against an exploitative practice. This decision marks a remarkable reversal of policy.
Midjourney did not respond to TechCrunch’s requests for comment. This includes questions about the lawsuit and recent administrative policy reversals. This silence creates an air of mystery around the filing as all stakeholders wait to see what’s next in this unprecedented case.