Warner Bros. Discovery has sued AI image generator Midjourney, accusing it of mass copyright infringement for using characters like Batman, Superman, and Scooby-Doo without permission, in a case that could set a major precedent for how copyright law applies to generative AI. (Source: Image by RR)

DC Comics, Cartoon Network Among Properties at Risk of Derivative AI Content

Warner Bros. Discovery has launched a lawsuit against Midjourney, accusing the AI image generator of unlawfully training on and replicating its most recognizable characters, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Bugs Bunny and Scooby-Doo. The complaint, filed in Los Angeles federal court, alleges that Midjourney enabled users to generate high-quality, downloadable depictions of these characters “in every imaginable scene.” Warner Bros. argues that this constitutes a calculated, profit-driven infringement and stresses that Midjourney knew its conduct was wrongful because it previously blocked certain infringing outputs before lifting those restrictions.

The studio is seeking damages, a disgorgement of profits, and an injunction to prevent further use of its intellectual property. Warner Bros. says Midjourney’s removal of safeguards last month was a deliberate move to expand its offerings at the expense of copyright holders, describing the action as “an open embrace of piracy.” The case, as noted in channelnewsasia.com, follows a similar lawsuit filed in June by Disney and Universal, signaling a growing trend of major entertainment companies pushing back against the unlicensed use of their assets in the training and outputs of generative AI systems.

Midjourney, founded in 2022 and led by David Holz, has grown into one of the largest AI art platforms, boasting nearly 21 million users and generating an estimated $300 million in revenue last year. In prior filings, the company defended its practices by arguing that copyright law does not grant absolute control over creative works and that using such works to train AI falls under the principle of fair use. Its lawyers contend that these practices ensure the free flow of ideas and innovation, likening the system’s outputs to those of a search engine rather than a tool of wholesale copying.

For Warner Bros., the case goes beyond the immediate financial damages. The studio frames the lawsuit as an effort to safeguard its creative ecosystem, which encompasses Warner Bros. Entertainment, DC Comics, Cartoon Network, and Hanna-Barbera. By targeting Midjourney, the company aims to send a broader message that AI-generated content cannot freely exploit decades of storytelling, artistry, and brand development without consequence. The outcome of the lawsuit could set a significant precedent in defining how copyright law applies to the rapidly evolving world of generative AI.

read more at channelnewsasia.com