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Disney and Universal File Lawsuit Against AI Image Creator Midjourney for Copyright Infringement

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Disney and Universal have filed a lawsuit against an artificial intelligence company, claiming copyright violations. The entertainment titans have described the image generator behind Midi Johnny’s popular AI as a “bottomless pit of plagiarism,” alleging it replicates the studios’ most iconic characters.

The lawsuit, lodged in federal court in Los Angeles, accuses Midi Joan of illegally accessing two Hollywood studio libraries and creating numerous unauthorized copies of key characters, including Darth Vader from Star Wars, Elsa from Frozen, and Minions from Despicable Me. Midjourney has not yet commented on the matter.

This legal action from Disney and Universal marks a new chapter in the ongoing battle over copyright issues related to artificial intelligence, following prior lawsuits focusing on text and music. So far, these two companies are among the largest industry stakeholders to address the implications for images and videos.

“We are optimistic about the potential of AI technology when used responsibly to enhance human creativity; however, it’s crucial to recognize that piracy and copyright infringement carried out by AI companies is unacceptable,” stated a company representative.

Kim Harris, vice-chair and legal counsel at NBCUniversal, emphasized the need to “entertain and inspire while protecting the hard work of all artists who invest significantly in content.”

The studios assert that the San Francisco-based company, one of the pioneers in AI-driven image generation, must either cease infringing upon copyrighted works or implement technical measures to prevent the creation of AI-generated images of copied characters.

Nonetheless, studios claim that Midjourney continues to release updates to its AI image service, promoting high-quality infringing images. The AI is capable of recreating animated visuals based on user prompts. These companies train their models using vast datasets, often sourced from millions of websites.

In a 2022 interview with Forbes, Midjourney CEO David Holz mentioned that he built the company’s database through extensive “internet scraping.”

The lawsuit, initiated by seven entities holding the copyrights to various Disney and Universal Pictures Film Units, includes examples of AI-generated animations with Disney characters like Yoda wielding lightsabers, as well as universal characters such as the Dragon from Kung Fu Panda, Toothless, and Shrek.

“By leveraging plaintiffs’ copyrighted materials and distributing images (and soon videos) that unmistakably incorporate beloved characters from Disney and Universal, Midi Joan exemplifies a typical copyright-free rider, creating a bottomless pit of flexible liability,” the studios claim.

Disney and Universal are seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent Midjourney from continuing to copy their works or providing image and video generation services without protective measures against infringement, as well as unspecified damages.

Founded in 2021 by David Holz, Midjourney operates on a subscription model, boasting a revenue of $300 million from its services last year alone.

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This isn’t the first instance of Midjourney facing accusations of leveraging artists’ works to train AI systems. Approximately a year ago, a federal judge in California found that 10 artists, alongside Stability AI and others, were in litigation against Midjourney, alleging that these companies had copied and stored their works on their servers, rendering them potentially liable for unauthorized use. This ruling allowed the lawsuit to proceed based on misuse of images, and it is currently ongoing.

This case is part of a larger trend of lawsuits involving authors, media organizations, and record labels against high-tech firms over the utilization of copyrighted materials for AI training.

When asked whether the company sought consent from artists whose works are copyrighted, Holz remarked, “It’s practically impossible to gather 100 million images and trace their origins.” In a submission to the UK government last year, OpenAI stated, “Training today’s leading AI models without the use of copyrighted materials is unfeasible.”

In late 2023, the New York Times filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, along with Microsoft (which holds a 49% stake in the startup), for allegedly misusing and regenerating text from its articles. That suit is still pending. Other media outlets, including The Guardian, have negotiated licensing agreements with AI companies to use their archives. Similarly, authors have sued Meta, claiming it used a vast database of pirated books to train the LLaMA AI model, although many of those claims were dismissed.

In June 2024, major record companies filed lawsuits against two AI companies for copyright infringement. Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group Recordings, and Warner Records accused Suno and Udio of improperly using millions of songs to create a system capable of generating derivative music.

Source: www.theguardian.com

20 State Attorneys General File Lawsuit Against Trump Administration to Reestablish Health Agencies

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On Monday, 20 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration concerning mass shootings and the dismantling of agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The legal action, spearheaded by New York Attorney General Letitia James, asserts that the administration breached numerous laws and circumvented Congressional oversight by attempting to streamline HHS from 28 agencies to 15, while planning to lay off about 20,000 employees.

James stated, “This administration hasn’t streamlined the federal government. They’re blocking it. If you terminate scientists researching infectious diseases, silence medical professionals caring for pregnant individuals, shut down programs supporting firefighters and miners, or hinder children’s development, you’re not improving America’s health. You’re jeopardizing countless lives.”

The restructuring announcement by HHS came in late March as part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s initiative to reduce the federal workforce. The cuts included layoffs of 3,500 employees from the Food and Drug Administration, 2,400 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 1,200 from the National Institutes of Health.

HHS indicated it will establish a new institution, referred to as the Healthy American regime, to take on some responsibilities formerly held by the agencies being dissolved, including programs focused on mental, environmental, or worker health.

Nonetheless, the lawsuit claims that the recent cuts have “severe, complicated, prolonged, and potentially irreversible” effects. The Attorney General emphasized in a press release that the restructuring impaired HHS’s ability to perform critical functions, disrupting mental health and substance abuse services, weakening responses to HIV/AIDS, and diminishing support for low-income families and individuals with disabilities.

Specifically, the Trump administration has let go of staff responsible for maintaining federal poverty guidelines, which are essential for determining food aid, housing assistance, and Medicaid eligibility, as well as reducing teams managing the low-income housing energy assistance program.

Half of the workforce from the Department of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services—one of the dissolved HHS agencies—has also been terminated. Consequently, the Attorney General reported that national investigations into drug use and health have come to a halt, and the federal team overseeing the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline has vanished.

The CDC has lost multiple labs that track infections, including those focusing on infectious diseases and tobacco control, as mentioned in the release. The team also monitored maternal mortality rates in the U.S. Additionally, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has been disbanded, which previously played a role in screening workers’ health issues related to toxic exposure.

The Trump administration asserts that certain programs, such as the World Trade Center Health Program—which provides screening and treatment for 9/11-related illnesses—and health surveillance initiatives for coal miners will persist under the Healthy American administration. However, many NIOSH employees associated with these programs are facing administrative leave and potential termination by June, as indicated in an internal government memo obtained by NBC News.

The lawsuit filed on Monday demands that HHS dismantle the agency and cease its efforts to restore the vital programs that have been lost.

This lawsuit is not the first to contest the federal government’s downsizing efforts. A coalition of 23 attorneys general previously sued HHS in April over the termination of approximately $11 billion in public health funding. A federal judge temporarily blocked these cuts but has yet to issue a final ruling.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Parents file lawsuit against Tiktok for alleged role in child’s death from “Blackout Challenge”

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The parents of four teenagers in England have filed a lawsuit against Tiktok following the tragic death of their children.

Isaac Kennevan (13), Archie Buttersby (12), Julian “Juls” Sweeney (14), and 13-year-old Maia Walsh, who rose to fame on social media in 2021, tragically lost their lives in 2022 while attempting a dangerous “challenge,” as stated in the lawsuit.

The Social Media Victims Law Center based in the US lodged a wrongful death lawsuit against Tiktok and its parent company Baitedan on behalf of the grieving parents.

Matthew Bergman, the founding attorney for the Social Media Victims Law Center, revealed, “Three of the four children succumbed to self-stable after being exposed to the hazardous Tiktok Blackout Challenge, all from a similar city and demographic. This does not seem coincidental.”

Bergman further claimed, “Tiktok deliberately targets these vulnerable children with perilous content to boost engagement and profit. The deliberate business decision by Tiktok cost the lives of these four children.”

Tiktok has asserted that searches related to the challenge have been restricted since 2020 and they strive to ban and eliminate harmful content promptly. They also direct users to their safety center if they search for related keywords or videos.

The lawsuit, on behalf of Archie’s mother Holly Dance, Isaac’s mother Lisa Kennevan, Juls’ mother Ellenroom, and Maia’s father Liam Walsh, was filed in the Superior Court of Delaware.

The lawsuit accused Tiktok of marketing itself as a safe and fun platform for children while promoting dangerous and addictive content. Tiktok allegedly engaged children with risky challenges to increase revenue.

Tiktok dismissed claims that they allowed the Blackout Challenge on their platform, asserting that they are actively working to address such issues. However, other perilous challenges involving drugs, hot water, and fire have emerged on Tiktok.

The lawsuit also highlighted that parents believed Tiktok was harmless, catering to children’s entertainment, without anticipating mental health repercussions.

The Social Media Victims Law Center represents families affected by harmful social media content, aiming to prevent the promotion of harmful videos, including those depicting suicide or self-harm, especially among children.

One of the cases involved Tawainna Anderson suing Tiktok in 2022 after her daughter Naira, aged 10, participated in the Blackout Challenge. The appeals court reinstated her case in August 2024.

Archie’s cause of death was determined to be accidental experimentation at his home, with the Blackout Challenge cited as a potential factor among many others.

Juls’ mother is advocating for parents to have legal rights to access their children’s social media accounts following the tragic loss of her son in 2022.

Amendments to the Online Safety Law in the UK aim to compel social media platforms to shield children from dangerous challenges and stunt content while actively eradicating risky material.

Source: www.theguardian.com