Three of Hollywood’s biggest studios Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Universal Pictures have filed a landmark lawsuit against Chinese artificial intelligence company MiniMax, accusing it of building a “bootlegging business model” that relies on massive copyright infringement.
Filed Monday in Los Angeles federal court, the lawsuit alleges that MiniMax systematically copied copyrighted characters like Spider-Man, Batman, Darth Vader, and the Minions to train its AI system, then allowed users to generate unauthorized videos featuring those characters through its platform, Hailuo AI.
“MiniMax operates Hailuo AI, a Chinese artificial intelligence image and video generating service that pirates and plunders Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works on a massive scale,” the studios wrote in their 119-page complaint.
The case marks the first time US entertainment giants have taken legal action against a Chinese AI company. It follows a June lawsuit in which Midjourney, a California-based AI startup, was sued for similar copyright claims.
According to the complaint, MiniMax users could type prompts like “Darth Vader walking around the Death Star” or “Spider-Man swinging between buildings” and instantly generate high-quality videos featuring those protected characters.
The studios argue that MiniMax has chosen not to implement copyright filters used by other AI platforms.
The Hollywood studios are seeking monetary damages, including MiniMax’s profits from the alleged infringement, and up to $150,000 per infringed work in statutory damages. They are also demanding a permanent injunction to halt further unauthorized use of their intellectual property.
MiniMax, valued at $4 billion in 2025 after raising $850 million in venture capital, has emerged as one of China’s leading AI firms. Despite receiving a cease-and-desist letter from the studios, the company reportedly failed to respond substantively or stop its practices.
The case highlights growing global tensions over AI, copyright, and creative industries, with Hollywood seeking to protect its most valuable assets in the face of fast-evolving generative technology.
MiniMax did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
