Universal adds copyright Warnings to Films Amid AI Legal Battles
LOS ANGELES, CA – June 13, 2024 – universal Pictures has begun adding new copyright warnings to its films playing in theaters, a move widely interpreted as bolstering its legal position in ongoing lawsuits against artificial intelligence (AI) companies. The warnings appeared with screenings of recent releases like Jurassic World Rebirth and The Bad Guys 2, starting june 7th, 2024.
the added text states the motion picture is protected under U.S. and international laws and warns against unauthorized duplication, distribution, or exhibition, citing potential civil and criminal penalties. Variations of the warning exist for different territories,including references to European Union law that allows copyright holders to opt-out of having their work used for scientific research – specifically Article 4 of the EU’s Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market (2019/790).
This action comes as Universal, alongside Disney, is currently co-suing AI image generator Midjourney in the U.S. District Court for the Northern district of California (Case No. 4:23-cv-08564-HSG).The lawsuit alleges that Midjourney infringes on the copyrights of both companies by allowing users to create images “based on” copyrighted works without permission.The complaint, filed December 8, 2023, details numerous instances of users prompting Midjourney to generate images in the style of Disney and Universal properties.
While other AI companies have recently faced setbacks in similar cases – notably, a judge dismissed claims brought by authors against Stability AI, Inc.and Midjourney,Inc. on June 7, 2024, finding the use of copyrighted books to train AI models constituted fair use – Universal is proactively strengthening its legal defenses. The authors involved in that case included Sarah Silverman and Christopher Golden.
legal experts suggest that adding the warnings now, after alleged copyright infringement has already occurred, may be a largely symbolic gesture. However, the move demonstrates Universal’s commitment to protecting its intellectual property in the face of rapidly evolving AI technology. The addition of a few sentences to film credits represents a relatively low-cost effort to perhaps reinforce its legal arguments as the courts grapple with the complex issues surrounding AI and copyright.
