Warner Bros Discovery has filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence company MidJourney, alleging that the startup unlawfully used its iconic characters, including Superman and Scooby-Doo, to generate AI-created images without authorization. The entertainment giant claims that MidJourney’s platform enables users to reproduce copyrighted characters in ways that infringe on its intellectual property rights.
According to the complaint, the AI tool allows subscribers to generate images of well-known heroes and cartoon figures by prompting the system with character names. Warner Bros argues that this amounts to commercial exploitation of its intellectual property, since the likeness of its characters is being replicated without proper licensing. The studio maintains that decades of investment in building these brands are being undermined by AI-generated versions circulating online.
Legal experts say the case could set a precedent for how copyright laws apply to artificial intelligence tools that rely on massive amounts of training data. While MidJourney has not disclosed specific datasets, rights holders suspect that large volumes of copyrighted content have been used to train its algorithms. The lawsuit underscores growing concerns across Hollywood that AI platforms may disrupt creative industries by blurring the boundaries between fair use and infringement.
Warner Bros Discovery is seeking damages as well as a court order to restrict MidJourney from using or generating any of its protected characters. The company stressed that while it supports innovation, it cannot allow unauthorized replication of its most valuable franchises.
MidJourney has not yet issued an official response to the lawsuit. Analysts expect the outcome to have wide-reaching implications, not only for AI image generators but also for music, film, and publishing industries facing similar challenges.
