And this could be just the beginning.
🔍 What’s happening?
Disney alleges that Midjourney trained its AI on copyrighted content—illegally.
• 199 works are reportedly involved.
• $150,000 per infringed work = $29.85M in damages.
But the real story is what this case could mean for the entire AI industry:
🧠Key implications:
1. Fair Use on Trial: The court will weigh whether using copyrighted content for AI training counts as fair use—or requires paid licensing. A precedent-setting moment. (Source: The Wrap)
2. Forced Transparency: Disney wants Midjourney to disclose exactly what data was used, potentially setting a new industry standard. (Source: The Wrap)
3. Model Freeze Incoming? If Disney wins an injunction, any AI model trained on unlicensed IP may have to stop operating or retrain from scratch—at immense cost. (Source: Reuters)
4. Lawsuit Domino Effect: A win for Disney could inspire waves of litigation from music labels, publishers, and gaming studios. This $29M case could be the tip of the iceberg. (Source: Reuters)
⚠️ TL;DR:
If Midjourney loses, it could open the floodgates.
Yes—even ChatGPT and other major AI models could face similar challenges.
đź‘€ Are we heading into an era where AI needs copyright compliance at scale?
What do you think—is this the accountability AI needs, or a brake on innovation?
AI Copyright Midjourney Disney LegalTech AIethics ChatGPT InnovationVsRegulation AInews
This post was originally shared by on Linkedin.