Midjourney Challenges Hollywood Studios to Demonstrate Their AI Usage in Court
The image generator claims that studios are also utilizing copyrighted materials to train their AI systems.
Midjourney is requesting that Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, and Universal Studios disclose how they implement artificial intelligence in their productions. Following a lawsuit last year where these studios accused the AI image generator of copyright violations for producing images of characters like Superman and Batman, Midjourney contends that using publicly accessible images for training qualifies as fair use, asserting that these studios apply similar methods for their own AI systems.
Specifically, Midjourney is seeking access to the studios’ AI business strategies, research documents, training datasets, model parameters, and even the presentations regarding AI used in board meetings. However, in mid-June, a magistrate judge permitted the studios to limit disclosures, allowing them to share only details related to “consumer-facing” AI applications. Currently, Midjourney is urging a federal court to reverse this judge’s decision.
As reported by litigation publication Mealey’s, Midjourney argues that the information it is requesting pertains directly to its defense of fair use. It aims to demonstrate that the studios are employing similar training methods on copyrighted content themselves, which could undermine the foundations of their lawsuit. “If Plaintiffs are engaging in the very behavior they seek to penalize, this evidence is central to Midjourney’s fair use and unclean hands defenses,” stated Bobby Ghajar, an attorney representing Midjourney. The outcome of this case may set important precedents regarding the admissibility of evidence in future legal challenges.
