The RIAA Praises Disney’s “Critical Stand” Against AI Infringement
In what could eventually be seen as a watershed moment for the entertainment industry, Disney and Universal filed a copyright infringement lawsuit yesterday against Midjourney, an AI image generator with millions of users.
In their suit, the Hollywood heavyweights argue that Midjourney pilfered countless copyrighted works to train its software and allow users to create images that “blatantly incorporate and copy Disney’s and Universal’s famous characters.”
“Midjourney is the quintessential copyright free-rider and a bottomless pit of plagiarism,” the companies said in the lawsuit.
Photo: Disney
The studios are seeking a preliminary injunction to stop Midjourney from using their intellectual property. Additionally, they are asking for up to $150,000 per infringed work.
Disney and Universal Take the Lead
As two of Hollywood’s biggest titans, Disney and Universal are in a unique position to defend intellectual property rights and the creative community against the exponential growth of AI.
Photo:nbcuniversal
After years of biding their time, the two companies finally entered the ring.
“Midjourney’s bootlegging business model and defiance of US copyright law are not only an attack on Disney, Universal, and the hard-working creative community that brings the magic of movies to life, but are also a broader threat to the American motion picture industry which has created millions of jobs and contributed more than $260 billion to the nation’s economy,” according to the lawsuit.
The RIAA Weighs In
Shortly after the new lawsuit was filed, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) weighed in, lauding Disney and Universal for their efforts.
Photo: RIAA
“There is a clear path forward through partnerships that both further AI innovation and foster human artistry. Unfortunately, some bad actors – like Midjourney – see only a zero-sum, winner-take-all game. These short-sighted AI companies are stealing human-created works to generate machine-created, virtually identical products for their own commercial gain,” RIAA chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier said.
“That is not only a violation of black letter Copyright law but also manifestly unfair. This action by Disney and Universal represents a critical stand for human creativity and responsible innovation.”
The Walt Disney Company
After years of debate, posturing, and negotiations, the showdown over AI has finally begun, and Disney is at the forefront.
It will be fascinating to see how the case plays out.
