Disney and Universal Sue AI Company Midjourney for Copyright Infringement
WiredMAY 30
Disney, Universal Sue AI Generator Midjourney Over Copyright
Above: Logo of Disney+. Image copyright: Hakan Nural/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
This lawsuit represents the necessary protection of creative rights against blatant theft. Midjourney built a profitable business by stealing copyrighted characters without permission or compensation to creators. The company ignored direct requests to stop and continues to profit from the unauthorized use of beloved characters that took decades and billions to develop.
Narrative B
AI companies operate under fair use protections that allow them to learn from publicly available content, much like human artists study existing works. Midjourney's technology transforms input data into new creations, and restricting AI training would stifle innovation and technological progress in creative industries.