Midjourney Seeks Broader AI Discovery From 3 Studios in Copyright Fight
Updated
Updated · Variety · Jul 2
Midjourney Seeks Broader AI Discovery From 3 Studios in Copyright Fight
3 articles · Updated · Variety · Jul 2
Summary
Midjourney asked Judge John Kronstadt this week to overturn a June 15 ruling that limited discovery into Disney, Universal and Warner Bros.' AI use to consumer-facing applications.
The company says internal AI records are central to its fair-use and unclean-hands defenses, arguing the studios may be using similar tools behind the scenes for storyboarding, ideation, marketing and model training.
Midjourney wants access to AI business plans, research reports, training datasets, model weights and board presentations, far beyond the narrower disclosures the studios agreed to provide.
The studios have cast the request as a fishing expedition, maintaining the case is about Midjourney's alleged unauthorized copying and distribution of famous film and TV characters, not Hollywood's own AI practices.
As Hollywood sues for AI copyright theft, could its own secret AI projects unravel the entire case?
With courts divided on AI's legality, will this case finally decide if training models is fair use or theft?
Midjourney’s $300 Million Copyright Battle: How Hollywood’s Lawsuit Could Reshape AI and Creative Industries
Overview
The ongoing copyright lawsuit against Midjourney has reached a crucial stage, with both sides battling over the scope of discovery. A magistrate judge limited discovery to only consumer-facing AI applications, restricting what Midjourney can learn about the studios’ internal AI use. Midjourney is appealing this decision, arguing that knowing how Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros. use AI internally is vital for its defense. The studios, however, strongly oppose this broader discovery, fearing exposure of sensitive information. The outcome of this appeal will significantly impact how both parties can build their cases and could shape future AI copyright disputes.