Warner Bros Sues Midjourney Over AI Images of Superman and Batman

Warner Bros. has filed a lawsuit against AI startup Midjourney, accusing the company of copyright infringement tied to the use of Superman, Batman, Bugs Bunny, and other well-known characters. The entertainment giant says Midjourney allowed its users to create images and videos featuring these characters without authorization.

Good to know

• Warner Bros. is seeking damages, profit returns, and a stop to further alleged violations.
• The case follows similar lawsuits from Disney and Universal against Midjourney.
• Midjourney argues its AI training methods fall under U.S. fair use protections.

According to Warner Bros., Midjourney knowingly permitted subscribers to generate content using its iconic properties. The company noted that Midjourney once had restrictions to prevent unauthorized use of copyrighted material but later lifted those safeguards.

The complaint states:

“Midjourney has made a calculated and profit-driven decision to offer zero protection for copyright owners even though Midjourney knows about the breathtaking scope of its piracy and copyright infringement.”

What Warner Bros. Wants

The lawsuit requests several remedies, including an order to block any further infringement and a return of profits allegedly earned from unauthorized images. The exact amount of damages Warner Bros. is seeking has not been disclosed.

Midjourney has defended itself in similar disputes, claiming its AI training practices qualify as fair use under U.S. copyright law. The company argues that training generative models with copyrighted works creates transformative outputs rather than direct reproductions.

The company is already facing a lawsuit filed in June by Disney and Universal, which alleged similar misuse of characters such as Darth Vader, Bart Simpson, and Shrek.