Warner Bros. Discovery has officially filed a lawsuit against Midjourney, marking the third major Hollywood studio to accuse the artificial intelligence image-generation platform of widespread copyright infringement. The complaint was filed on Thursday and underscores a growing industry-wide concern about the rapid rise of AI tools and their impact on intellectual property rights.
According to the filing, Warner Bros. alleges that Midjourney willfully enables users to generate both still images and video content that directly mimic or replicate the studio's most iconic characters. The list of cited intellectual properties includes Superman, Batman, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the classic duo Tom and Jerry. The studio further contends that Midjourney recently weakened or outright removed guardrails that once prevented users from creating infringing video content - an action the company views as a deliberate decision to facilitate piracy.
"Midjourney thinks it is above the law," the complaint states in strong language. "Without any consent or authorization by Warner Bros. Discovery, Midjourney brazenly dispenses Warner Bros. Discovery's intellectual property as if it were its own."
Warner Bros. is being represented by the same team of attorneys who earlier this summer filed near-identical lawsuits against Midjourney on behalf of Disney and Universal. The new Warner Bros. suit follows that same legal template, suggesting the studios are pursuing a coordinated strategy to challenge how AI companies are developing and distributing content.
At the heart of the case is the claim that Midjourney allows users to create outputs, from still imagery to moving video, that are indistinguishable from copyrighted characters and brands. The lawsuit asserts that while Midjourney could implement safeguards to prevent such uses, it has intentionally chosen not to. Instead, Warner Bros. argues, the platform has prioritized profit over protection.
"But Midjourney has made a calculated and profit-driven decision to offer zero protection for copyright owners," the lawsuit continues, "even though Midjourney knows about the breathtaking scope of its piracy and copyright infringement."
The legal battle also echoes arguments raised in the ongoing Disney-Universal case, where Midjourney has defended its practices by citing the doctrine of "fair use." The company maintains that training AI models on copyrighted material is legally permissible and has further pointed to its terms of service, which prohibit users from violating intellectual property rights. Midjourney's attorneys have also accused the studios themselves of hypocrisy - claiming that while Hollywood condemns the platform, studios are simultaneously exploring and profiting from AI technologies for their own projects.
Interestingly, Warner Bros. had the opportunity to join the Disney-Universal suit earlier this year but initially chose not to participate. The studio's decision to move forward now comes as Midjourney continues to expand aggressively into video-based services. The company recently launched both a video-generation platform and a 24/7 streaming channel available on its website and YouTube. Warner Bros.' complaint warns that Midjourney's discussion of adding multiple "channels" to its streaming presence indicates a potential intent to compete directly in traditional television or streaming markets - a move that would bring it into even sharper conflict with the studios.
The Warner Bros. filing also highlights how easy it allegedly is for users to generate infringing works, naming additional characters such as the Joker, the Flash, and Scooby-Doo as common examples of AI-generated duplications.
Through the lawsuit, Warner Bros. is seeking statutory damages as well as a court injunction that would block Midjourney from using its copyrighted works going forward. If successful, the case could set another major precedent in the ongoing battle between Hollywood and Silicon Valley over the role of AI in creative industries.
Tags: warner bros., discovery, midjourney