TechCrunchยท2025-06-11 17:34Core Viewpoint - Disney and Universal have initiated legal action against Midjourney for allegedly using their copyrighted content without permission to train its generative AI models [1][2]. Group 1: Lawsuit Details - The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and includes numerous examples of images generated by Midjourney that feature copyrighted characters from Disney and Universal, such as Homer Simpson and Darth Vader [2]. - The studios are seeking monetary damages, a jury trial, and an injunction to prevent further copyright infringement by Midjourney [3]. Group 2: Industry Context - Tech companies, including OpenAI, are advocating for legal protections that would allow them to train AI models on publicly available works, including copyrighted materials, without needing permission or compensation to the original creators [4]. - Some film and television studios have begun to explore generative AI technology, but their efforts have been relatively limited compared to the broader industry push [4].