{"id":48690,"date":"2026-07-12T03:07:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T03:07:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/speedinet.co.za\/?p=48690"},"modified":"2026-07-12T03:07:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T03:07:51","slug":"midjourney-wants-hollywood-to-reveal-its-ai-use-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/speedinet.co.za\/?p=48690","title":{"rendered":"Midjourney Wants Hollywood to Reveal Its AI Use in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Midjourney doesn\u2019t just want to defend itself against Hollywood. It now wants the studios to open their own AI cupboards.<\/span><\/p>\n

The AI image company is <\/span>asking for broader discovery in its copyright fight<\/span> with major film studios, including Disney, Universal and Warner Bros. The studios accuse Midjourney of using protected characters and content without permission. Midjourney argues that if the studios claim AI harms their market, then their own use of AI matters too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Midjourney turns the spotlight back on Hollywood<\/b><\/h2>\n

The core fight sounds simple: Hollywood says Midjourney copied its work. Midjourney says the court should also look at how Hollywood uses similar technology.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to recent reporting, a judge had already ordered the studios to share information about their AI use, but only for <\/span>consumer-facing images and videos<\/b>. Midjourney now wants that limit widened because it says the studios shouldn\u2019t get to select only the documents that support their claims.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Midjourney<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the interesting part.<\/span><\/p>\n

The lawsuit started as a classic rights-holder-versus-tech-company clash. But it\u2019s becoming something bigger: a fight over transparency. If studios use AI internally for concept art, marketing, pre-visualisation, pitch decks or production workflows, Midjourney wants those details in the record.<\/span><\/p>\n

We think the real story here isn\u2019t just whether Midjourney trained on protected content. It\u2019s whether Hollywood can attack AI in court while also quietly using it in its own creative pipeline.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why the studios sued Midjourney<\/b><\/h2>\n

Disney and Universal filed their lawsuit<\/span> in June 2025, accusing Midjourney of copyright infringement linked to training data and AI-generated outputs. The case targeted images that allegedly resemble famous studio-owned characters and worlds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Warner Bros. later filed its own case<\/span>, alleging that Midjourney generated unauthorised images and videos featuring characters such as Superman, Bugs Bunny, Scooby-Doo and Wonder Woman.<\/span><\/p>\n

The studios argue that Midjourney benefits from valuable entertainment IP without paying for it. Midjourney, like many AI companies, is expected to rely heavily on arguments around transformation, user prompts and fair use.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how the fight breaks down:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Side<\/b><\/td>\nWhat they want<\/b><\/td>\nWhy it matters<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hollywood studios<\/span><\/td>\nStronger control over protected characters and visual IP<\/span><\/td>\nIt could force AI companies into licensing deals<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Midjourney<\/span><\/td>\nBroader access to studio AI-use records<\/span><\/td>\nIt could weaken claims that AI only harms studios<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Creators<\/span><\/td>\nClearer rules for training data and outputs<\/span><\/td>\nIt could affect artists, agencies and production teams<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Courts<\/span><\/td>\nEvidence on market harm and AI workflows<\/span><\/td>\nIt could shape future copyright cases<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Why AI discovery matters<\/b><\/h2>\n

Discovery is the legal process where both sides request documents, records and evidence. It can sound boring. It isn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n

In AI cases, discovery can expose how companies train models, test outputs, handle copyrighted material and deploy tools internally. That\u2019s why Midjourney\u2019s request matters.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

If the court lets Midjourney dig deeper, Hollywood studios may need to reveal more about their own generative AI experiments. That could include internal tools, vendor contracts, workflow documents or examples of AI-assisted creative work.<\/span><\/p>\n

What we\u2019re watching now is whether the court treats studio AI use as relevant to market harm. If the studios say Midjourney threatens their business, Midjourney will likely argue that Hollywood\u2019s own AI adoption tells a more complicated story.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is also about power<\/b><\/h2>\n

Hollywood has spent decades building some of the world\u2019s most valuable characters. Disney, Universal and Warner Bros. don\u2019t see those characters as internet culture. They see them as billion-dollar assets.<\/span><\/p>\n

Midjourney sits on the other side of the new creative economy. It gives users fast, cheap image generation. That makes it powerful, but also legally exposed.<\/span><\/p>\n

The tension is obvious.<\/span><\/p>\n

Studios want AI companies to pay for the raw material that helped make the tools valuable. AI companies want flexibility to build and compete without clearing rights for every image scraped or referenced across the internet.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why this case could push the industry toward licensing. We\u2019ve already seen AI companies and content owners move toward paid partnerships, including image and media licensing deals. Our recent coverage of <\/span>Getty Images and OpenAI\u2019s partnership<\/b> shows how fast the market is moving from scraping fights to commercial agreements.<\/span><\/p>\n

What it means for South African creators<\/b><\/h2>\n

For South African readers, the bigger question is practical: what happens when AI tools become normal in creative work, but copyright rules remain unclear?<\/span><\/p>\n

Local agencies, filmmakers, designers and content teams already use AI tools to speed up production. A small studio in Cape Town can now create pitch visuals that once required a much bigger budget. A marketer in Johannesburg can test campaign concepts in minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

That\u2019s exciting. It\u2019s also risky.<\/span><\/p>\n

If global courts demand more transparency around AI training and usage, South African businesses may also need cleaner AI policies. That could mean:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • keeping records of which tools teams use;<\/span><\/li>\n
  • avoiding prompts that copy protected characters;<\/span><\/li>\n
  • checking commercial-use terms before publishing;<\/span><\/li>\n
  • building internal rules for AI-generated visuals;<\/span><\/li>\n
  • asking vendors whether they use licensed training data.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    This matters because South African creators often depend on global platforms. A US court decision can quickly shape the tools available here, the terms attached to them and the risks clients ask agencies to carry.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The bigger AI-Hollywood fight is just starting<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Hollywood isn\u2019t anti-AI in a simple sense. Studios want AI\u2019s speed, cost savings and creative flexibility. They just don\u2019t want outside AI companies to profit from their characters without permission.<\/span><\/p>\n

    That\u2019s why the Midjourney move feels sharp. It puts Hollywood\u2019s own AI use under the microscope.<\/span><\/p>\n

    If studios use AI heavily behind the scenes, Midjourney may argue that AI is not just a threat to their market. It\u2019s also part of their market. But if discovery shows limited or carefully licensed use, the studios could strengthen their case.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The court hasn\u2019t decided the full copyright question yet. For now, the fight sits in the evidence phase, where both sides try to define what the court can see.<\/span><\/p>\n

    We think this case could become one of the clearest windows into how big entertainment companies really use AI. And once that window opens, the next question gets uncomfortable: who gets to use culture as training material, and who gets paid when they do?<\/span><\/p>\n

    FAQs<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Why is Midjourney asking studios to reveal AI usage?<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Midjourney wants evidence about how studios use <\/span>generative AI<\/b> internally. It says that information could matter if the studios claim AI tools harm their market.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Which studios are involved in the Midjourney lawsuit?<\/b><\/h3>\n

    The fight involves major Hollywood players, including <\/span>Disney, Universal and Warner Bros.<\/b> The cases centre on alleged copyright infringement involving protected characters and visual content.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Why should South African creators care?<\/b><\/h3>\n

    This case could shape the rules for <\/span>AI-generated images, licensing and copyright risk<\/b>. Local creators who use global AI tools may feel the impact through platform policies, client contracts and legal expectations.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The post Midjourney Wants Hollywood to Reveal Its AI Use in 2026 appeared first on Memeburn.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Midjourney doesn\u2019t just want to defend itself against Hollywood. It now wants the studios to open their own AI cupboards. The AI image company is asking for broader discovery in its copyright fight with major film studios, including Disney, Universal and Warner Bros. The studios accuse Midjourney of using protected characters and content without permission. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[155,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ai-news","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/speedinet.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/speedinet.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/speedinet.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/speedinet.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/speedinet.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=48690"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/speedinet.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48690\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/speedinet.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=48690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/speedinet.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=48690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/speedinet.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=48690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}