TLDR: Universal Pictures has begun adding explicit ‘no AI training’ warnings to the end credits of its films, including recent releases like ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ and ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’. This move is part of a broader industry effort to protect copyrighted content from unauthorized use by artificial intelligence systems, coming amidst ongoing legal battles, notably a lawsuit filed by Disney and Universal against AI image generator Midjourney over alleged copyright infringement.
Hollywood studio Universal Pictures has taken a definitive stance against the unauthorized use of its content for artificial intelligence training by implementing clear warnings in the end credits of its latest films. The new disclaimer explicitly states that the motion picture ‘may not be used to train AI,‘ signaling a proactive measure to safeguard intellectual property in the evolving digital landscape.
This warning has already appeared in several recent Universal releases, including the live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ which premiered in June, ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ released in July, and ‘Bad Guys 2’ which hit theaters in August. The message is accompanied by standard legal text asserting that the film is ‘protected under the laws of the United States and other countries,‘ and that ‘Unauthorized duplication, distribution or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.‘ In some international markets, the warning further references a 2019 European Union copyright law, which allows creators to opt out of their work being used for scientific research by reserving their rights.
Universal’s action is a direct response to the growing controversy surrounding AI companies that train their systems on vast datasets of copyrighted material without explicit consent or compensation to the original creators. This practice has led to numerous lawsuits, particularly against generative AI tools capable of recreating copyrighted images and videos that bear striking resemblance to original works.
A significant legal battle underpinning this move is the lawsuit filed in June by major Hollywood studios, including Disney and Universal, against AI image generator Midjourney. The lawsuit alleges ‘vast, intentional, and unrelenting copyright infringement,‘ claiming that Midjourney systematically violates copyright by enabling users to generate unauthorized reproductions of iconic characters from franchises such as Shrek, Ratatouille, The Lego Movie, Star Wars, Marvel superheroes, and Disney animated films. The studios have characterized Midjourney as a ‘bottomless pit of plagiarism.‘
In its defense, Midjourney has invoked the ‘fair use’ doctrine, arguing that copyright law does not grant absolute control over copyrighted works and that fair use is essential for safeguarding public interests in the free flow of ideas and information. The AI firm has also highlighted what it perceives as a contradictory stance from the studios, noting that generative AI tools are widely utilized by visual effects companies that work directly with these very studios. Furthermore, Midjourney has criticized the studios for allegedly bypassing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s (DMCA) established takedown protocols.
Also Read:
- Yomiuri Shimbun Initiates Legal Action Against Perplexity AI Over Copyright Infringement
- Visual Artists Face Uphill Battle Protecting Work from AI Crawlers, Study Reveals
Legal experts are closely watching these cases, as their outcomes could significantly redefine the boundaries of ‘fair use’ in the context of AI training. There is concern that overly broad interpretations of copyright infringement could stifle innovation within the AI sector, particularly if minor visual similarities are deemed sufficient grounds for copyright claims. While authors have previously lost cases against AI companies like Anthropic and Meta based on fair use, AI firms could still face liability if it’s proven they illegally downloaded or copied movies for training purposes.
