Universal Pictures and Disney are currently taking legal action against the AI company Midjourney. Now it seems that Universal is introducing some proactive steps to protect its assets as well.
What has Universal done?
Many moviegoers leave before the end credits have run. However, eagle-eyed viewers might have noticed a little extra wording in the scrolling credits at the end of some recent Universal releases. The new warning states that the movies “may not be used to train AI.” Also, the warning includes the standard legal phrases, “This motion picture is protected under the laws of the United States and other countries. Unauthorized duplication, distribution, or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.”
Where can you see the warning?
Reports online suggest that live-action “How To Train Your Dragon” was the first movie to carry the new warning when it was released in June 2025. Since then, Universal has added the no-AI warning to the end credits of “Jurassic Park Rebirth” and “Bad Guys 2” in the U.S. In addition, the company has included wording from some 2019 European Union copyright legislation in parts of the world. This law allows you to opt out of having your copyrighted works used in scientific research.
What we think
Many creators are concerned about the use of their work to train generative AI. Global media companies are starting to feel the impact of AI on their assets as well. As a result, several rights holders have instigated legal cases against AI companies around the world. However, Midjourney’s response to Disney and Universal clearly shows that the AI community is ready to defend its tech. Now it seems that Universal wants to be more proactive with its do-not-use-for-AI warnings. The company will be able to cite this in any future litigation, should it be shown that AI was trained on Universal movies without permission. How effective that might be, only time will tell.
