Warner Bros. sues Midjourney to stop AI knockoffs of Batman, Scooby-Doo (arstechnica.com)

Warner Bros. has filed a lawsuit against AI image generator Midjourney, accusing the company of profiting from unauthorized use of iconic characters like Batman, Superman, Scooby-Doo, and Bugs Bunny. This legal move follows similar claims from Disney and Universal Studios earlier in the year, targeting AI models trained on copyrighted pop culture properties. Warner Bros. alleges that Midjourney enables users to generate highly detailed images of protected characters in various scenes, effectively distributing their intellectual property without permission. The significance of this case lies in its potential to set a precedent for how AI-generated content intersects with copyright law, especially regarding training data and output rights. Warner Bros. contends that Midjourney’s ongoing infringement is "vast, intentional, and unrelenting," highlighting scenarios where specific movie frames were replicated through prompts, contradicting previous promises by Midjourney to curb such misuse. The studio seeks a permanent injunction to stop these practices and demands substantial damages—up to $150,000 per infringing image—which could financially cripple Midjourney if large volumes of infringing outputs are proven. This lawsuit underscores increasing tensions between creative industries and AI developers, spotlighting the challenges of balancing innovation with intellectual property protections in AI/ML. The outcome could influence how future models handle training on copyrighted materials and shape the responsibilities of AI platforms in policing user-generated content.