Midjourney launches AI video generator – threatens to be sued by Disney!

Midjourney launches AI video generator – threatens to be sued by Disney!

The world of artificial intelligence is once again entering an exciting phase, as Midjourney has brought the first video generator onto the market. This innovation allows users to generate short videos from uploaded or self-created images. The possibilities are almost endless - just click on the new “animate” button and a five-second clip can be created based on a text prompt. Users also have permission to use images as the “starting image” for their videos. This encourages creativity in an innovative way, even if it generates more generic movements by default. It looks different if you use the “manual” button, which allows you to design the movement according to your own ideas. Future expansions of the functions to extend animations up to 21 seconds already promise exciting prospects for hobbyists and professionals.

However, the technology is not without challenges. What's particularly interesting is that the video generator is currently only available via the web and Midjourney's Discord server. A monthly subscription starting at $10 is required. In fact, Midjourney plans to charge video jobs approximately eight times more than image jobs in terms of cost per second of video. This pricing policy raises questions, particularly given the ongoing legal battles with major studios such as Disney and Universal raising copyright concerns. As NPR reports, these industry titans have filed suit against Midjourney, arguing that the AI ​​generator is copying copyrighted works without permission.

Legal dispute over copyrights

The lawsuit is notable because it is the first lawsuit of its kind - Hollywood studios against an AI company. The 110-page lawsuit, filed in a U.S. district court, says Midjourney used “numerous” copyrighted works to train its AI model. There is talk of unauthorized copies of iconic characters such as Shrek and Darth Vader. The plaintiffs, including Disney Enterprises and Lucasfilm, are demanding not only damages from Midjourney, but also measures to prevent such use in the future. NPR highlights that Midjourney has not yet responded to this accusation.

The situation raises fundamental questions about copyright and the use of AI-generated content. As ibp-kanzlei describes in a legal analysis, the technology that creates content such as text, images and music faces numerous challenges with regard to traditional copyright law. This debate over the authorship of AI-generated works is complicated by current legal frameworks and court decisions. Recent rulings have shown that works without significant human influence often do not enjoy legal protection.

Creativity is right

The question of how the future of AI-generated content will be shaped also remains exciting. To promote artistic expression and protect intellectual property, future laws could provide for specialized licensing models for the use of AI. Such considerations are equally important for developers and users, especially since case law is subject to constant changes, which must take both the protection of creators and the promotion of innovation into account.

No matter how the legal disputes turn out, one thing is certain: the development of AI applications such as the new video generator will permanently change the creative industry. The combination of technology and art gives us hope for something new - somewhere between innovative freedom and the challenges of copyright.