Disney has filed a lawsuit against AI startup Midjourney for unauthorized use of its characters, signaling the start of a larger campaign to assert control over its intellectual property in the AI age—balancing legal action with emerging partnerships, even as it pushes for swift legislative clarity on copyright in generative technologies. (Source: Image by RR)

Darth Vader at the Center of Disney’s Complaint Against AI Image Generators

Disney has launched a strategic legal offensive against AI companies that use its iconic characters without permission, beginning with a lawsuit against image-generation startup Midjourney. The case, as noted in the-decoder.com, centers on the unauthorized use of characters like Darth Vader, and according to Disney’s chief legal officer Horacio Gutierrez, it is just the opening salvo in a broader campaign to protect the studio’s intellectual property (IP) in the generative AI age. Despite Midjourney’s smaller size compared to tech giants like OpenAI and Google, Disney deliberately targeted it first to establish legal precedent before potentially escalating to larger platforms.

This campaign comes at a time when other major studios appear fragmented in their response. Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery are said to be focused on internal restructuring, while Netflix and Amazon are exploring alternate strategies. In contrast, Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, has aligned with Disney by joining the lawsuit. The move signals growing concern across the entertainment industry about how AI firms are using copyrighted media to train and produce content—often without consent or compensation.

However, Disney’s approach is not solely litigious. In a notable departure from its past resistance to new technologies, the company is also exploring strategic partnerships. It has already licensed the voice of Darth Vader for use in a Fortnite chatbot and is in early discussions with OpenAI about potential collaborations. Gutierrez explained this two-pronged approach as a deliberate effort to both shape the legal framework and participate in the emerging AI ecosystem—rather than being steamrolled by it.

Underlying Disney’s urgency is a shifting political and economic landscape. With the Trump administration showing strong support for the tech sector in its rivalry with China, entertainment executives worry that U.S. policymakers might prioritize innovation over copyright protections. Gutierrez emphasized that Disney’s goal is to preserve the right to control when, how, and by whom its IP is used commercially. The company is pushing for swift legal clarity before courts and Congress spend years debating fair use standards in the context of AI model training.

read more at the-decoder.com