Leading AI-backed imaging service Midjourney refuses to stop its display and reproduction of copyrighted cartoon and superhero characters and has even removed protections that it earlier implemented in response to a different lawsuit, a new federal complaint alleges. The complaint, brought by a family of entertainment companies that collectively own some of the most recognizable animated characters in the world, alleges that the recent backsliding “validated” their concerns “that Midjourney can and will remove copyright protection measures on a whim.”
A Mexican artist who used a prominent artificial intelligence service to create a piece of work was not entitled to obtain copyright registration for the work under Mexican law, the top court for that nation has held. The court’s lengthy opinion, which rejects precedents from South Africa and Australia and aligns itself instead with international treaties and caselaw from the United States and the UK, holds that AI-generated works cannot receive protection because they were not created by humans.