Walt Disney Co., Comcast’s Universal, and Warner Bros. Discovery have jointly filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Chinese artificial intelligence firm MiniMax, accusing the company of using their iconic characters without authorisation to power its image- and video-generating platform, Hailuo AI.
Filed on Tuesday in a California district court, the complaint alleges that MiniMax “audaciously” trained and marketed Hailuo as a “Hollywood studio in your pocket” by exploiting copyrighted content from blockbuster franchises, including Star Wars, Despicable Me, and Wonder Woman.
According to the suit, Hailuo users can generate downloadable images and videos featuring characters like Darth Vader, Minions, and Wonder Woman with MiniMax branding, all without proper licensing.
The Hollywood giants say MiniMax ignored repeated requests to implement safeguards that are now standard among other AI services. They argue that the company not only allowed infringement but actively encouraged it, treating “valuable copyrighted characters like its own.”
“A responsible approach to AI innovation is critical,” the studios said in a joint statement. “This lawsuit demonstrates our shared commitment to holding accountable those who violate copyright laws, wherever they may be based.”
The plaintiffs seek damages, a share of MiniMax’s profits, and a court order to halt the alleged misuse of their intellectual property.
This action follows a series of similar lawsuits by Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros. Discovery against AI firms such as Midjourney, amid a growing wave of legal battles over how copyrighted works are used to train and power generative AI models.
MiniMax, which operates on a subscription model and reportedly targets a $4 billion valuation, serves more than 157 million individual users worldwide but has yet to respond to the lawsuit.
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