3 min readJul 7, 2026 09:10 AM IST
First published on: Jul 6, 2026 at 05:31 PM IST
Artificial intelligence image generator Midjourney is escalating its legal battle with some of Hollywood’s biggest studios, asking a US court to require Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros to disclose how they use AI internally.
The request comes as part of an ongoing copyright lawsuit in which the studios have accused Midjourney of training its AI models on copyrighted characters without permission, according to a Variety report.
The latest court filing argues that the studios should not be allowed to limit what evidence they provide during the discovery process, claiming such restrictions would prevent Midjourney from presenting a complete defence.
Why Midjourney wants more AI-related documents
The dispute stems from lawsuits filed by Disney and Universal last year, followed by Warner Bros, alleging that Midjourney’s image-generation models can create images featuring protected characters such as Bart Simpson and Darth Vader.
Midjourney maintains that training AI models on publicly available copyrighted material falls under the fair use doctrine.
The current disagreement focuses on the evidence each side must exchange before trial. A judge had previously ruled that the studios only needed to provide documents relating to consumer-facing AI-generated images and videos.
Midjourney is now asking the court to remove that limitation.
Studios may be using AI in similar ways
In its filing, Midjourney argues that internal AI projects could be highly relevant to the case.
According to Midjourney, if Hollywood studios are developing image-generation tools for tasks such as storyboarding, concept art, or content ideation, it could demonstrate that training AI models on copyrighted material has become an accepted industry practice.
The company claims the studios are withholding documents that could support its defence while selectively providing evidence that strengthens their own arguments regarding market harm.
Midjourney also wants the studios to disclose every prompt they entered into its AI platform and all resulting outputs, rather than only the prompts that generated allegedly infringing images.
Studios reject Midjourney’s request
The studios have strongly opposed the broader discovery request.
Lead attorney David Singer previously described Midjourney’s efforts as a “fishing expedition,” arguing that the company is seeking information unrelated to the copyright claims.
The studios have also maintained that their lawsuit is not intended to stop AI innovation.
Instead, they argue that Midjourney should stop copying copyrighted movies, television shows, and iconic characters without permission, and should not create derivative works that reproduce protected intellectual property.
Case could shape future AI copyright disputes
The lawsuit is one of the highest-profile legal battles over generative AI and copyright, with its outcome likely to influence how courts interpret fair use for AI model training.
If the court grants Midjourney’s request, the discovery process could provide an unusually detailed look at how major Hollywood studios are experimenting with generative AI behind the scenes, potentially revealing whether entertainment companies are adopting technologies similar to those they are challenging in court.
The copyright dispute between Midjourney and major Hollywood studios has entered a new phase over AI-related evidence. (Image: Wikimedia Commons) 
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