Midjourney vs. Hollywood: AI Use in Copyright Fight

Midjourney is trying to make Hollywood studios reveal their own use of artificial intelligence. This comes as Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros. Discovery are suing Midjourney for copyright infringement. Midjourney wants a federal judge to compel these studios to disclose their internal AI practices. The studios originally sued Midjourney, accusing it of enabling large-scale infringement of copyrighted characters. Warner Bros. Discovery joined the fight, seeking $150,000 per infringed work. Midjourney is using a "fair use" defense. Its attorney argues that if the studios are "doing the very thing they seek to punish," this evidence is central to its defense. Midjourney wants access to the studios' AI business plans, training datasets, and more. A magistrate judge limited the studios' disclosure to consumer-facing AI tools. Midjourney has since asked Judge John Kronstadt to overturn that ruling. The studios' attorney calls this a "fishing expedition." This legal battle highlights the ongoing questions about AI and intellectual property in creative industries.