On Tuesday, Walt Disney, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Discovery filed a lawsuit against a Chinese AI company, MiniMax, claiming copyright infringement. The studios allege that MiniMax’s AI service creates images of famous characters like Darth Vader, the Minions, and Wonder Woman without their authorization.
According to a legal complaint filed in Los Angeles, MiniMax is illegally distributing movies, harming both the filmmakers and the entire American film industry. The companies involved argue that MiniMax’s actions are a direct attack on creators and a threat to the future of movies.
The entertainment companies asked the court to stop MiniMax from continuing to violate their copyrights. They are requesting compensation of up to $150,000 for each copyrighted work that was used without permission, in addition to covering their legal fees and court costs.
Major movie studios are continuing to sue AI companies over copyright issues. Disney and Universal Pictures filed a lawsuit against AI company Midjourney in June, and Warner Bros. Discovery followed suit earlier this month.
Hollywood Inc.
A new lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court alleges that the AI company Midjourney is creating images that directly copy well-known characters owned by the movie studios involved.
MiniMax, a company based in Shanghai, offers a service called Hailuo AI that lets users generate images and videos of popular characters. Advertisements for the service, which is promoted as a “Hollywood studio in your pocket,” featured characters like the Joker and Groot without getting permission from the companies that own those characters. According to a recent lawsuit, users can simply type a request for characters like Yoda from “Star Wars” or Superman from DC Comics, and Hailuo AI will create and provide high-quality images or videos of them.
The lawsuit claims MiniMax is openly violating U.S. copyright law by using the plaintiffs’ copyrighted characters as if they belong to MiniMax. The company’s actions are described as deliberate and blatant copyright infringement.
The lawsuit claims that with how quickly AI video technology is improving, it won’t be long before Hailuo AI can create unauthorized videos using Plaintiffs’ copyrighted characters. These videos could be quite long – eventually even the same length as a full movie or TV show.
MiniMax did not immediately return a request for comment.
Hollywood is facing a tough time right now. Rising production costs are forcing companies to merge and cut back spending, and the growing use of artificial intelligence is adding to the pressure. Many actors and writers are struggling to find work, especially after the strikes last year. There’s concern that AI tools can now easily copy the likenesses and voices of performers, potentially impacting their careers.
Some film studios are taking legal action against AI companies, but others are exploring collaborations. Lionsgate, for instance, is working with AI company Runway to streamline tasks like storyboarding and other behind-the-scenes work.
Hollywood Inc.
YouTube creators are worried that Google is using their videos to develop its new AI video generator, Veo, without giving them a way to prevent it. This is especially concerning for those who rely on YouTube for income, as they fear it could impact their future earnings.
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2025-09-16 21:01