Universal Pictures Takes Stand Against AI Training with New Legal Warning in Movie Credits

Reviewed byNidhi Govil

7 Sources

Universal Pictures has added a legal warning to its movie credits, stating that its films "may not be used to train AI," in an effort to protect its intellectual property from unauthorized use by AI companies.

Universal Pictures Takes a Stand Against AI Training

Universal Pictures has taken a significant step in the ongoing battle between Hollywood and artificial intelligence (AI) companies. The studio has begun adding a legal warning to the end credits of its films, stating that the content "may not be used to train AI" 1. This move is part of a broader effort by major intellectual property holders to protect their content from being used without permission or compensation in AI training.

The New Warning and Its Implications

Source: Gizmodo

Source: Gizmodo

The warning, which first appeared in the live-action "How to Train Your Dragon" in June, has since been included in other Universal releases such as "Jurassic World Rebirth" and "The Bad Guys 2" 2. The message is accompanied by a standard copyright notice, threatening civil liability and criminal prosecution for unauthorized use. In some countries, the warning cites a 2019 European Union copyright law that allows creators to opt out of having their content used for research 1.

Universal believes that by making this explicit statement against AI use, it will be more challenging for tech firms to use the company's content for data-extraction purposes 2. This move reflects growing concerns in the entertainment industry about AI's potential to replicate copyrighted material without permission or compensation.

Legal Battle with AI Companies

The warning comes in the context of an ongoing legal dispute between major Hollywood studios and AI companies. Universal, along with Disney, has filed a lawsuit against Midjourney, an AI image generator, accusing it of "vast, intentional, and unrelenting copyright infringement" 3. The lawsuit alleges that Midjourney has enabled users to create unauthorized reproductions of iconic characters from franchises like Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney animations.

Midjourney's Response and Fair Use Argument

Source: Entrepreneur

Source: Entrepreneur

Midjourney has responded to the lawsuit, challenging the studios on multiple fronts. The AI company argues that copyright law does not confer absolute control over copyrighted works and that fair use must be considered 3. Midjourney cites recent federal court rulings that support AI training as "transformative fair use" and points out that many studio employees and visual effects companies working for the plaintiffs actively use their service.

Broader Implications for the Entertainment Industry

This legal battle raises important questions about the future of AI in the entertainment industry. While some studios are taking a defensive stance, others are beginning to incorporate AI into their production processes. For instance, Netflix recently disclosed that it used AI to generate footage for a scene in one of its shows, completing it "10 times faster" than with standard tools 4.

The Road Ahead

Source: GameReactor

Source: GameReactor

As the entertainment industry grapples with the rapid expansion of AI technology, the outcome of this legal dispute could have far-reaching consequences. It may set precedents for how AI can be used in content creation and what constitutes fair use in the age of machine learning. The industry will need to find a balance between protecting intellectual property and harnessing the potential benefits of AI technology 5.

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