AsianFin -- Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup MiniMax is facing legal action from several major Hollywood studios, including Walt Disney, Universal Pictures under Comcast, and Warner Bros. Discovery, over alleged intellectual property violations, according to media reports.

The dispute centers on MiniMax’s generative AI platform, Hailuo, which reportedly allows users to generate downloadable images and videos of iconic characters with just a simple text prompt. Among the characters cited are Darth Vader from Star Wars, the Minions from Despicable Me, and Wonder Woman, all of which are allegedly generated with Hailuo branding.

According to Reuters, the studios are seeking both the profits MiniMax has earned through the alleged infringements and a court order preventing the company from offering Hailuo without implementing proper copyright safeguards. MiniMax has not responded to inquiries from the press regarding the lawsuit.

This lawsuit follows a growing trend of intellectual property disputes in the generative AI sector. In a similar case on June 11, 2025, Disney and Universal filed a lawsuit against the U.S.-based AI firm Midjourney, claiming that the company trained its models using copyrighted material and that its platform generates images featuring their characters in violation of copyright law, CNN reported.