Midjourney, an AI tool that creates images from text descriptions, is asking a federal court to force Disney, Warner Bros., and Universal to reveal how they use AI internally. A judge previously said the studios did not have to disclose that information during their copyright lawsuit against Midjourney.

These studios sued Midjourney in 2025, saying it copied their copyrighted characters — like Superman and Mickey Mouse — to create new images. Now Midjourney wants to see the studios' internal AI plans, the data they use to train their own AI systems, and their strategic documents about artificial intelligence.

Why Midjourney Wants This Information

Midjourney's argument is straightforward: if Disney and the other studios are using AI the same way that Midjourney is, then they cannot fairly sue the company for doing it. Think of it like accusing someone of cheating in a game you are also cheating in — your complaint loses credibility.

Midjourney calls this the "unclean hands" defense. The idea is that if a party has done something wrong related to the dispute itself, a court can refuse to let them win their case.

There is also a broader legal question underneath: Is it legal for AI companies to train their systems on images found on the internet? That question has not been clearly answered by U.S. courts yet. If the studios are training their own AI systems on copyrighted material and the courts accept that practice, it would help Midjourney argue that what it is doing is also legal. If the studios are not doing it, then Midjourney's argument falls apart.

Why This Case Matters

What counts as fair game in a copyright case involving AI is still being decided by courts. Right now, the rules are unclear. The judge who ruled against Midjourney said studios only had to reveal information about products they sell to customers — not their private research and internal plans. If a higher court says the studios must reveal everything, it would change how all future AI copyright cases work.

Most big entertainment and technology companies are developing their own AI tools. If a court rules that companies have to show how they use AI when they sue over copyright, it could affect countless future cases. The decision here will likely influence how courts handle AI copyright disputes for years.