The growing prevalence of generative AI has become an existential crisis for working artists. After years of silence, Disney and Universal are teaming up against Midjourney, one of the largest and most prevalent AI companies. Since studios haven’t entered any licensing agreements with AI companies, AI-generated versions of Disney’s Darth Vader and Universal’s Shrek are technically pirated works. Midjourney is being hit with a cease-and-desist, not to protect artists against AI, but to maintain the exclusivity of their brands. Disney and Universal aren’t taking issue with the idea of generative AI altogether; what matters is that Midjourney is allegedly violating copyrights by creating personalized images of popular characters.