Disney, Warner Bros. and Universal Sue Chinese AI Firm for Copyright Theft

Major studios accuse MiniMax’s Hailuo AI of exploiting iconic movie characters and threatening the future of filmmaking.

In a dramatic escalation of the global fight over artificial intelligence, three of Hollywood’s biggest powerhouses—Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Universal Pictures—have filed a lawsuit against Chinese AI company MiniMax, accusing it of large-scale copyright infringement.

The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court on Tuesday, claims that MiniMax’s content generator, Hailuo AI, has been built on the backs of stolen creative work. According to the studios, the platform allows users to instantly create images and videos of iconic, copyrighted characters such as Darth Vader, Superman, Minions, and even the Guardians of the Galaxy—characters that are the intellectual lifeblood of Hollywood.

For the entertainment giants, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The complaint warns that if left unchecked, it’s only “a matter of time” before AI systems like Hailuo can generate full-length unauthorized movies and shows, potentially indistinguishable from studio productions.

This lawsuit is not an isolated case but part of a growing wave of legal battles between creative industries and AI companies. For years, AI developers have scraped vast amounts of online data to train their systems—without permission or compensation for the original creators. Authors, musicians, journalists, and visual artists have already mounted similar legal challenges. Now, Hollywood is joining the fray with renewed urgency.

Earlier this month, Warner Bros. Discovery also teamed up with Disney and Universal to sue another AI company, MidJourney, alleging the same kind of intellectual property violations. The argument is clear: by freely using their films and shows to train AI, these companies are plagiarizing decades of creative labor while undermining the very business models that sustain the film industry.

Charles Rivkin, CEO of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), issued a stern warning:

“AI companies will be held accountable for infringing on the rights of American creators wherever they are located. Copyright theft, if left unchecked, threatens the entire American motion picture industry.”

According to the lawsuit, MiniMax even advertises its product as a “Hollywood studio in your pocket,” blatantly using studio-owned characters in its promotional material. One example cited shows the AI generating an image of Darth Vader with a MiniMax watermark—a move the studios claim could only be possible if their intellectual property had been used in the AI’s training data.

The studios are demanding unspecified damages, including the forfeiture of profits, and a court order to shut down Hailuo AI’s use of copyrighted works.

With AI technology advancing at breakneck speed, Hollywood sees this as more than just a legal fight—it’s a battle for the future of creative ownership, storytelling, and the survival of the film industry itself.