Midjourney Demands Hollywood Studios Reveal Internal AI Usage
The high-profile copyright dispute between image generator Midjourney and some of Hollywood’s biggest studios—including Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros—has entered a new, escalated phase. Midjourney has officially asked a US court to compel these studios to disclose exactly how they are using artificial intelligence internally, arguing that this information is vital for their defense.
The Core of the Dispute
The legal battle began when major studios alleged that Midjourney trained its AI models on copyrighted characters, such as Darth Vader and Bart Simpson, without obtaining proper permission. Midjourney maintains that training its AI models on publicly available copyrighted material is protected under the "fair use doctrine".
Previously, a judge ruled that the studios were only required to provide documents related to AI-generated images and videos that were intended for consumer use. Midjourney is now petitioning the court to remove this limitation, seeking access to a much broader range of internal AI-related evidence.
Why Midjourney Wants More AI Evidence
Midjourney contends that internal documents regarding the studios' own AI projects are highly relevant to their defense. Their legal team argues that:
If Hollywood studios are actively developing their own image-generation tools for tasks like storyboarding, concept art, or content ideation, it could prove that training AI models on copyrighted material is an accepted industry practice.
The studios are allegedly withholding documents that support Midjourney's defense while selectively providing only the evidence that strengthens their claims of market harm.
Midjourney is also seeking the disclosure of every prompt studios entered into its platform, along with all resulting outputs, rather than just the specific prompts that generated allegedly infringing images.
Hollywood Studios Oppose the Request
The studios have vehemently opposed these broader discovery requests. Lead attorney David Singer has characterized Midjourney’s demands as a “fishing expedition,” arguing that the company is seeking information that is entirely unrelated to the core copyright claims.
The studios maintain that their goal is not to hinder AI innovation. Instead, they argue that Midjourney must stop copying protected intellectual property from movies and television shows without authorization and should not be permitted to create infringing derivative works.
A Case with Wide-Reaching Consequences
This lawsuit stands as one of the most significant legal battles regarding generative AI and copyright. The court’s ultimate decision is expected to influence how judicial systems interpret "fair use" as it applies to AI model training.
If the court grants Midjourney’s request, it could provide the public with an unusually detailed look at how major entertainment companies are experimenting with AI behind the scenes, potentially revealing whether the studios are adopting technologies similar to those they are currently challenging in court.