Warner Bros. Discovery sues Midjourney over alleged copyright infringement

New Delhi: Warner Bros. Discovery has filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence company Midjourney, accusing it of copyright infringement, according to the complaint lodged in a California federal court, according to the report.

The studio alleges Midjourney has used its films and television shows to train its image generator without permission and that the platform allows subscribers to create content featuring iconic copyrighted characters, including Superman, Wonder Woman, The Joker, Bugs Bunny and Scooby-Doo.

As per the report, a Warner Bros. Discovery spokesperson said, “The heart of what we do is develop stories and characters to entertain our audiences, bringing to life the vision and passion of our creative partners. Midjourney is blatantly and purposefully infringing copyrighted works, and we filed this suit to protect our content, our partners, and our investments.”

The complaint argues that Midjourney’s outputs divert consumers from licensed merchandise such as posters and prints. Warner Bros. Discovery is seeking either profits from the alleged infringement or statutory damages of up to $150,000 per work.

Disney and NBCUniversal have also filed suits against Midjourney earlier this year, with both studios reiterating their commitment to protecting intellectual property.