Entertainment giants Disney and Universal have reportedly filed a lawsuit against AI image generator Midjourney, accusing the company of widespread copyright infringement for allegedly replicating their iconic characters without permission.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, calls Midjourney a “bottomless pit of plagiarism”, alleging it created and distributed unauthorized images of well-known figures such as Darth Vader, Elsa, the Minions, Yoda, Iron Man, and Buzz Lightyear. Midjourney has not yet responded to the allegations.

“This is piracy, plain and simple,” says Disney’s chief legal officer Horacio Gutierrez. “AI doesn’t excuse infringement.”

Universal echoed the concern. “We’re taking this action to protect the hard work of artists and our investment in their creations,” said Kim Harris, NBCUniversal’s general counsel.

The suit marks one of the most prominent legal actions yet in the fast-evolving debate over AI and copyright, as generative tools increasingly replicate protected imagery. While previous lawsuits have focused on text and music, this case centers on visuals — and potentially video — generated by AI from text prompts.

The studios allege that Midjourney ignored requests to prevent its tool from generating copyrighted content, instead continuing to release more advanced versions capable of creating higher-quality infringing images. The complaint includes examples of AI-generated content featuring Disney and Universal characters.

Disney and Universal are seeking a preliminary injunction to halt the reproduction of their works and to block Midjourney’s services unless safeguards against infringement are put in place. They are also seeking unspecified damages.