The Microsoft Bing Image Generator has been utilized by various individuals, including social media influencers like merlinthesuffolkiggy and Instagram users, to create video poster illustrations reminiscent of Disney originals.
Amidst concerns surrounding a social media trend where users crafted Disney movie posters featuring their pets, shedding light on broader copyright issues, Microsoft made adjustments to its AI image generation tool.
Images generated by Microsoft’s Bing Image Creator, later shared on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, prominently featured the Disney brand. These images, inspired by celebrities, encouraged others to use the AI tool to create personalized versions resembling Disney Pixar studio posters for their pets.
Following raised concerns, users were notified that using the search term “Disney” violated the tool’s policies, prompting Microsoft to initially block the term from the image engine. Reports suggest that Disney raised concerns regarding potential intellectual property infringements.
Although the tool now accepts the term “Disney,” the AI-generated images still bear a resemblance to the original Disney branding, as evidenced in examples like the Brave movie poster. While the images display a recognizable but slightly altered version of the branding, occasional typos or font variations are observed, such as in the dog-themed image mentioned.
The replication of the Disney brand raises trademark infringement concerns. Legal experts, like Andrew White from the IP law firm Mathys & Squire, speculate that the AI may distort the logo to avoid direct replication.
White highlights the unresolved issue of whether the AI was trained on Disney’s copyrighted material, potentially reproducing protected content. While using such images for commercial purposes could pose legal challenges, in this context, it seems more oriented towards entertainment.
Microsoft has taken steps to assume legal responsibility for potential rights issues arising from content produced by its AI tools for users of Word, PowerPoint, and programming software. Similar protective measures have been adopted by tech giants like Adobe and OpenAI, which employ relational AI.
Social media influencers prompted users to input terms like “Disney Pixar-inspired film poster” to generate images featuring the Disney logo. Users like Nicola Bennett shared images of her Roman Greyhound, Pandora the Iggy, created in Disney style, expressing delight at the quick and adorable results.
Bennett suggested that while it benefits Disney, the company might consider developing its own generator to maintain authenticity. Microsoft acknowledged the variability in results but refrained from commenting on business discussions, allowing entities to request restrictions on images associated with their names and brands.
Disney has not issued a statement on the matter. This incident underscores concerns raised by artists, musicians, media entities, and publishers regarding AI-generated content utilizing copyrighted materials without consent or compensation.
Legal disputes often revolve around the training data used for these AI models. Notably, Getty Images has filed a lawsuit against Stability AI, alleging the unauthorized use of its images to train AI models.
