Midjourney asks court to expose Hollywood studios' AI practices

The request comes amid lawsuits filed by Disney, Universal and Warner Bros., which accuse Midjourney of copyright infringement by allowing users to generate images featuring well-known characters owned by the studios. Midjourney maintains that training its AI models on copyrighted material is protected under the legal doctrine of fair use.

The latest dispute centers on the discovery process, during which both sides exchange evidence before trial. A judge previously ruled that the studios must provide information about their use of generative AI, but limited the requirement to AI-generated images and videos intended for consumers.

In a new court filing, Midjourney is seeking to remove that restriction, arguing that it prevents access to documents that could support its defense. The company claims the current limitation allows the studios to disclose only evidence that strengthens their claims while withholding information that could undermine them.

According to the filing, Midjourney believes the withheld documents could show whether the studios are using AI in ways similar to those challenged in the lawsuit. The company argues that if studios are developing internal AI tools for tasks such as storyboarding or generating creative concepts for film and television projects, such evidence could demonstrate that these practices are common across the entertainment industry.

Midjourney also wants the studios to disclose all prompts they entered into its AI system, along with the resulting images, rather than only those prompts that allegedly produced infringing content. The startup argues that the complete record is necessary to provide proper context and evaluate the claims. The studios, however, oppose the broader request.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Midjourney unveiled a 60-second full-body scanner.