Warner Bros Discovery files lawsuit against AI photo generator Midjourney, accusing them of copyright infringement using Superman and Scooby-Doo characters.

In a significant legal development, Warner Bros Discovery has filed a lawsuit against AI photo generation company Midjourney, accusing the firm of using their copyrighted materials without permission. The case is being heard in the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, under case number 25-08376.

The lawsuit follows a similar one filed in June against Midjourney by Walt Disney and Comcast's Universal over characters including Darth Vader, Bart Simpson, Shrek, and Ariel from "The Little Mermaid." The current lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, disgorgement of profits, and a halt to further infringements.

Warner Bros Discovery's operations include Warner Bros Entertainment, Turner Entertainment, DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera, and The Cartoon Network. The complaint alleges that Midjourney used the stolen works to train its image and video service, offering subscribers high-quality, downloadable images of Warner Bros characters in various scenes.

Midjourney, in an August 6 filing, stated that copyright law does not grant absolute control over the use of copyrighted works. The company argued that using copyrighted works to train generative AI models could be considered fair use, promoting the free flow of ideas and information.

However, Warner Bros asserts that Midjourney once blocked subscribers from generating videos from infringing images but lifted that protection measure last month. The lawsuit claims that Midjourney is accused of stealing works from Warner Bros, including images of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Bugs Bunny, Scooby-Do, and others.

As of September 2024, Midjourney had nearly 21 million users. In 2024, the company is estimated to have generated $300 million in revenue, according to Warner Bros' complaint.

The founder of the company, Midjourney, is David Holz. A spokesperson for Warner Bros Discovery stated that the lawsuit was filed to protect their content, partners, and investments. Midjourney has yet to respond publicly to the allegations.