Midjourney seeks wider AI records from Disney, Universal and Warner Bros in copyright battle
Artificial intelligence company Midjourney is asking a US court to require Disney, Universal and Warner Bros to disclose more information about how they use AI technologies as their copyright dispute continues.
The lawsuit was first filed by Disney and Universal, which accused Midjourney of infringing copyright by allowing users to generate images of well-known characters such as Bart Simpson and Darth Vader. Warner Bros later joined the case with similar allegations.
Midjourney argues that using copyrighted images to train its AI models is protected under the legal principle of fair use. As the case moves through the discovery phase, the company is seeking broader access to the studios’ internal AI-related records.
A judge previously ordered the studios to share information about their use of generative AI, but limited the disclosure to consumer-facing projects.
Midjourney is now asking the court to remove that restriction. The company argues that the current order allows the studios to choose only the documents that support their claims of financial harm while keeping potentially helpful evidence out of the case.
According to the filing, Midjourney believes the withheld documents could reveal whether the studios use AI image-generation tools internally for tasks such as brainstorming, story development or creating early concepts for films and television projects. The company says such information could demonstrate that AI has become a common tool within the entertainment industry.
Midjourney has also requested access to all prompts and AI-generated outputs created through the studios’ systems, rather than limiting disclosure to material connected with the alleged copyright violations.
Representing the studios, attorney David Singer rejected the request, calling it a “fishing expedition.” He said the studios are not trying to stop the development of artificial intelligence but are seeking to prevent the unauthorised use of their copyrighted works.
