Disney is taking strong legal action against unauthorized AI use of its copyrighted characters, revealed by Chief Legal Officer Horacio Gutierrez, stating that the recent lawsuit against the image generator Midjourney is just the beginning of this intellectual property defense campaign. This move marks Disney's determination to protect its valuable IP in the generative AI field.

The first lawsuit filed by Disney against Midjourney originated from the company ignoring repeated requests to remove content involving characters such as Darth Vader. Although Midjourney is much smaller than giants like OpenAI or Google, Disney chose this as a starting point to establish a legal precedent for potential future lawsuits against larger competitors. It is reported that while other film companies such as Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery are busy with internal reorganization, and Netflix and Amazon are seeking other strategies, NBC Universal's parent company Comcast has decided to join Disney's side.

Disney

Lawsuit and Cooperation: Disney's Dual Strategy

Differing from Hollywood's initial attitude of opposing new technologies on the internet, Disney has adopted a "two-pronged approach" this time: on one hand, it is cracking down on infringement through legal lawsuits; on the other hand, it is actively exploring cooperation with AI companies. The company has been in discussions with OpenAI about potential collaboration and has successfully obtained the voice acting authorization of Darth Vader for use in the chatbot of the video game "Fortnite." Gutierrez emphasized to Bloomberg that Disney will not repeat history.

Beneath this intellectual property campaign lies a sense of urgency. Bloomberg points out that due to the previous Trump administration's favoritism toward the tech industry in the competition with China, entertainment executives are worried that the government may side with large technology companies rather than content creators in future battles.

Gutierrez clearly stated that Disney's goal is "to retain the right to decide whether, under what conditions, and by whom our licensed intellectual property and characters are commercialized." While it will take years for courts and Congress to establish standards for "fair use" in AI training, Disney is actively pushing for legal clarity to ensure its creative assets are fully protected.