Mystery Machine Learning: Warner Bros. sues mid-journey for Scooby-Doo theft
AI photogenerating company Midjourney is facing a Warner Bros Discovery lawsuit.
Midjourney is an AI image generator based in San Francisco. Founded in 2022 by David Holz, it reached approximately 21 million users and estimated revenue of US$300 million in September 2024.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles said it used AI training using thefts of Midi Johnny, iconic characters such as Bugs Bunny, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Scooby Do, allowing subscribers to create high-quality, downloadable images of them in “all imaginary scenes.”
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Midjourney originally blocked the creation of copyrighted materials, but the company was changed last month to allow users to create images of copyrighted characters and materials.
Warner Bros. said the fact that Midi Joanie originally banned the production of copyrighted material indicates that the company knew what it was doing was wrong.
“Midjourney has made a calculated, profit-driven decision to provide zero protection to copyright holders despite Midjourney knowing the breathtaking scope of copyright and copyright infringement,” the lawsuit states.
Warner Bros. requires Midi Johnny to halt the creation of copyrighted characters and pay profits and unspecified damages.
“The heart of what we do is develop stories and characters to entertain our audiences and realize the vision and passion of our creative partners,” said a spokesman for Warner Bros. Discovery.
“We have filed this lawsuit to protect our content, partners and investments.”
Midjourney also faced a lawsuit by Disney and Universal Studios over the theft of Shrek, Ariel's iconic character. Little MermaidBurt Simpson and Darth Vader.
During the lawsuit, Midjourney said that copyright law “confers no absolute control” on how copyright material is used. He also argued that training AI with copyrighted materials was considered fair use. The company has not commented on the Warner Bros. lawsuit.
Daniel Croft
Born in the heart of western Sydney, Daniel Croft is a passionate journalist with an understanding and experience in writing in the field of technology. He studied at Macquarie University and joined Momentum Media in 2022 and has written for many publications, including Australian Airlines, Cybersecurity Connect and Defense Connect. Outside of writing, Daniel has a strong interest in music and spends time playing in bands around Sydney.
