Warner Bros Sues Midjourney Over Alleged AI Copyright Infringement

Warner Bros has filed a lawsuit against AI image generator Midjourney, accusing the company of knowingly engaging in copyright infringement. The complaint alleges Midjourney lifted existing content restrictions, enabling subscribers to generate high-quality images of Warner Bros' copyrighted characters. "Midjourney has made a calculated and profit-driven decision to offer zero protection for copyright owners," the filing states.

The legal action seeks unspecified damages and demands Midjourney cease further infringements. This follows similar June litigation by Disney and Universal, who called Midjourney "a bottomless pit of plagiarism" for replicating characters like Darth Vader and Shrek without authorization.

The case highlights growing tensions between content creators and AI platforms over intellectual property rights in the generative AI era. Warner Bros claims Midjourney's actions constitute willful theft, using stolen content to enhance its commercial service.