Disney and Comcast sue Midjourney for copyright infringement in AI-generated images

The lawsuit filed by The Walt Disney Company (Disney) against the renowned generative artificial intelligence (AI) startup Midjourney could set the direction for the future of the entertainment industry.

Disney, together with Comcast Corporation, filed a lawsuit against Midjourney last week, accusing the company of copyright infringement. This lawsuit has drawn significant attention as its ruling could have a massive impact on both the AI industry and the creative sector. 

It also raises important questions about the boundaries of AI use and how copyright law can protect works in this new era.Midjourney is an AI image generation programme that operates through the Discord app and website, where users can input prompts for the AI to create images based on their imagination. 

However, the controversy stems from the fact that the images generated by the AI often feature famous characters that are copyrighted, including Mickey Mouse, characters from Marvel, The Simpsons, and Star Wars from Disney, as well as popular figures from Comcast’s properties such as Minions and Shrek.

The lawsuit alleges that Midjourney used vast image datasets from the internet to train its AI without permission. More concerningly, Midjourney reportedly ignored requests to cease this activity, leading to claims for damages that could reach up to US$150,000 (approximately 5 million baht) per infringement.

What makes this case even more intriguing is the timing, as the entertainment industry is undergoing a significant transition. Major players like Disney and Comcast are also experimenting with generative AI amidst growing ethical concerns, particularly regarding labour and copyright issues that remain unclear.

A notable example is Disney’s use of AI technology for the opening title sequence of the Marvel series Secret Invasion (2023). Disney explained to Hollywood Reporter that “AI is just one tool used by artists. No artist has been replaced; rather, AI helps support our creative teams.”

Interestingly, the lawsuit does not directly target the AI technology itself, perhaps because many studios have already begun using AI in pre-production tasks and special effects, areas that were traditionally reliant on artists and visual effects companies.

Horacio Gutierrez, Disney's General Counsel, affirmed that the company is excited about the potential of AI and believes that this technology can be used responsibly to enhance human creativity.

Thus, this legal battle seems to have a clearer goal, as Chad Hummel, an executive from the McKool Smith law firm, told The Washington Post: “This isn’t about Hollywood trying to ban generative AI... it’s about ensuring fair compensation.”



Midjourney may face a tough challenge defending itself against these accusations, as multiple reports have confirmed that the CEO of Midjourney admitted to Forbes in 2022 that the company created its datasets by collecting vast amounts of images from the internet without seeking permission from the content creators. 

He also added, "There’s no way to know where the hundreds of millions of images came from," which further complicates Midjourney’s situation.

Although it may seem shocking, this reflects the broader issue within the generative AI industry. Even industry giant OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, has admitted, "It’s impossible to train today’s leading AI models without using copyrighted content."

The accusations from Disney and Comcast, accusing Midjourney’s AI of being a "treasure trove of stolen works," could soon turn ironic.

 In the near future, the very AI technology they rely on for scriptwriting and special effects might also depend on the same “treasure trove of stolen works” they once condemned.

(2025/06/20-00:00)