Disney and NBC Universal have produced some of the most iconic and recognizable characters. As a result, there is a lot of artwork of these characters; however, it is important that copyright is not infringed upon. That’s exactly what Disney and NBC Universal are accusing an AI website of. 

The website in question is Midjourney, which reportedly made $300 million alone last year and has more than 20 million users. It was founded only a few years ago in 2021. 

Variety gathered the quote, “The companies alleged that Midjourney’s own website ‘displays hundreds, if not thousands, of images generated by its Image Service at the request of its subscribers that infringe Plaintiff’s Copyrighted Works.” 

The companies called the AI site a “bottomless pit of plagiarism.” Allegedly, Universal and Disney have not earned any money from the copyrighted material, while Midjourney charges its subscribers a monthly fee. The companies have expressed that they want to protect their copyrighted material as well as the creatives behind the characters. 

Apparently Disney and Universal asked Midjourney to stop its production of their work. However, the company did not comply, so came the lawsuit. This is not the first time AI has been accused of copyright infringement or theft of intellectual property, but Disney and NBCU are the first two big Hollywood companies to sue an AI website.

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