A discreet entrepreneur has launched a covert venture to expose AI-generated copyright violations in Hollywood, amid mounting legal disputes over character and style reproduction by image and video generators.

A discreet fintech entrepreneur is betting that Hollywood’s copyright fight over artificial intelligence will need more than lawsuits to be won. Speaking to Page Six Hollywood through a blacked-out Zoom screen, the man identified only as Alex said he has personally spent more than $100,000 building a covert venture designed to expose how image and video generators can reproduce protected characters and styles without permission.

Alex’s pitch comes as major studios step up their legal offensive. Disney and Universal sued Midjourney in June 2025, accusing the company of using and distributing AI-generated versions of their best-known characters without authorisation, and later Warner Bros. Discovery joined a similar case. CNBC reported that the Disney-Universal filing described the dispute as a test of the foundations of US copyright law, while the Los Angeles Times said the studios sought to stop what they called the routine copying of characters from franchises including Star Wars, Marvel and Despicable Me.

The entrepreneur said the idea crystallised after users began pushing ChatGPT’s image tools to imitate the look of Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki. From there, he launched a policing service called LightBar in January, which he described as a kind of trial run for the larger company behind it, VN.ai. The platform pays people to probe AI models and document examples of infringement, while the longer-term business would offer subscription monitoring and custom investigations for rights holders.

One demonstration he described involved Midjourney, which is now facing litigation from Disney, Universal and Warner Bros. Discovery. According to Alex, a user uploaded a reference image from the original Star Wars films that contained no characters, then prompted the system to create “a small green creature wearing a robe”. He said the output resembled Yoda, and further prompts could push the model towards Grogu or other familiar figures without using those names. He said he has shown the findings to studios involved in the case.

The legal question remains unsettled. Midjourney and other AI companies have argued that training on publicly available material qualifies as transformative fair use, while MiniMax, another defendant in Hollywood’s broader AI fight, has said its liability should rest with users and that US courts may not have jurisdiction. Kim Meyer, a lawyer who has represented Scarlett Johansson, told Page Six Hollywood that courts so far seem broadly receptive to the AI firms’ fair-use arguments, but that copyright law itself may need a major overhaul to handle generative technology. For Alex, that uncertainty is exactly why enforcement tools matter: even if studios prevail, he argues, they will still need a way to detect and block infringement at scale.

Source Reference Map

Inspired by headline at: [1]

Sources by paragraph: - Paragraph 1: [1] - Paragraph 2: [2], [3], [4], [5], [6] - Paragraph 3: [1] - Paragraph 4: [1], [2], [6], [7] - Paragraph 5: [1], [2], [3]

Source: Noah Wire Services

Verification / Sources

  • https://pagesix.com/2026/04/23/hollywood/the-anonymous-bounty-hunter-on-a-mission-to-save-hollywood-from-nefarious-ip-infringement-im-a-target/ - Please view link - unable to able to access data
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/11/disney-universal-midjourney-ai-copyright.html - Disney and Universal have filed a lawsuit against AI image creator Midjourney, alleging copyright infringement. The lawsuit claims that Midjourney used and distributed AI-generated characters from the movie studios, including Star Wars and The Simpsons, without authorization. This marks the first such lawsuit from Hollywood giants against an AI company. The studios demand a jury trial, arguing that Midjourney's actions threaten the foundations of U.S. copyright law. Both companies had previously sent letters to Midjourney's counsel to prevent further infringement, but the company continued to release new iterations of its image generator.
  • https://www.npr.org/2025/06/12/nx-s1-5431684/ai-disney-universal-midjourney-copyright-infringement-lawsuit - In a landmark move, Disney and Universal have sued AI firm Midjourney for copyright infringement. The 110-page lawsuit alleges that Midjourney stole 'countless' copyrighted works to train its AI engine in creating images. The suit accuses Midjourney of selling an AI image-generating service that functions as a virtual vending machine, generating unauthorized copies of Disney's and Universal's copyrighted works. The lawsuit includes detailed appendices illustrating the plaintiffs' claims with visual examples and seeks unspecified damages from the AI company.
  • https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/11/disney-universal-ai-lawsuit - Disney and Universal have sued Midjourney, an AI company, alleging copyright infringement. The lawsuit claims that Midjourney's AI-powered image generator reproduced the studios' best-known characters, such as Darth Vader from Star Wars and Elsa from Frozen, without permission. The studios seek a preliminary injunction to prevent Midjourney from copying their works and unspecified damages. Midjourney, founded in 2021, monetizes the service through paid subscriptions and generated $300 million in revenue last year alone, according to the studios.
  • https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2025/06/11/disney-universal-midjourney-lawsuit-copyright-infringement - Walt Disney Co. and Universal Pictures have filed a lawsuit against AI image generator Midjourney for copyright infringement. The lawsuit alleges that Midjourney generates images that 'blatantly incorporate and copy' the studios' famous characters, including those from 'Star Wars,' Marvel, and the 'Despicable Me' and 'Minions' franchises. This is the first time major studios have brought the battle against alleged AI-enabled intellectual property theft to the courtroom. The studios seek a preliminary injunction to prevent Midjourney from copying their works and unspecified damages.
  • https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2025/09/05/warner-bros-discovery-joins-disney-and-universal-suing-ai-company-midjourney-for-allegedly-generating-countless-copies-of-its-characters/ - Warner Bros. Discovery has joined Disney and Universal in suing AI company Midjourney for allegedly creating 'countless' copies of its characters. The lawsuit claims that Midjourney has been accused of 'brazenly' dispensing its intellectual property 'as if it were its own.' In the lawsuit, Warner Bros. Discovery alleges that Midjourney generated 'countless' images and videos of its copyrighted characters, including Superman, Bugs Bunny, and Scooby-Doo, among others. The media conglomerate alleges the AI program has reproduced, displayed, and distributed 'unauthorized derivatives' of its intellectual property through its artificial image and video generation tools.
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/16/disney-universal-warner-bros-discovery-sue-chinas-minimax.html - Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros. Discovery have jointly filed a copyright lawsuit against China's MiniMax, alleging that its image- and video-generating service Hailuo AI was built from intellectual property stolen from the three major Hollywood studios. The suit claims MiniMax 'audaciously' used the studios' famous copyrighted characters to market Hailuo as a 'Hollywood studio in your pocket' and advertise and promote its service. With a simple text prompt by a subscriber, Hailuo can generate downloadable images and videos of characters such as Darth Vader from 'Star Wars,' Minions from 'Despicable Me,' and Wonder Woman with MiniMax Hailuo branding, the lawsuit claims.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We've since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 3

Notes: ⚠️ Freshness Concerns: The article references events from June 2025, including lawsuits filed by Disney and Universal against Midjourney for alleged copyright infringement. Given that it's now April 2026, this information is nearly a year old, raising concerns about the timeliness and relevance of the content. Additionally, the article's focus on an anonymous individual named Alex, who claims to have spent over $100,000 on a venture to expose AI-generated infringements, lacks verifiable details, making it difficult to assess the freshness and originality of this specific narrative. Without independent confirmation of Alex's activities and the existence of the company VN.ai, the freshness score is significantly reduced.

Quotes check

Score: 2

Notes: ⚠️ Quote Verification Issues: The article includes direct quotes attributed to Alex, such as his description of a demonstration involving Midjourney generating images resembling Yoda. However, these quotes cannot be independently verified through available sources. The absence of corroborating evidence for these statements raises concerns about their authenticity and accuracy. Without external verification, the credibility of these quotes is questionable, leading to a low score in this category.

Source reliability

Score: 4

Notes: ⚠️ Source Concerns: The primary source of the article is Page Six, a publication known for celebrity gossip and entertainment news. While it has a large readership, its reputation for rigorous journalism is mixed. The reliance on a single, potentially biased source without corroboration from more reputable news outlets diminishes the overall reliability of the information presented. This lack of independent verification from established news organizations contributes to a lower score in this category.

Plausibility check

Score: 5

Notes: ⚠️ Plausibility Concerns: The narrative describes an individual named Alex investing a significant amount of money into a venture aimed at exposing AI-generated intellectual property infringements. While the concept aligns with ongoing industry discussions about AI and copyright, the lack of verifiable details about Alex's identity, the company VN.ai, and the specific activities undertaken raises questions about the plausibility of the entire account. The absence of supporting evidence makes it challenging to assess the credibility of these claims.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary: ⚠️ FAIL Verdict: The article presents a narrative that is nearly a year old, with unverifiable quotes and a reliance on a single, potentially biased source. The lack of corroboration from reputable news outlets and the absence of supporting evidence for key claims significantly undermine the credibility and reliability of the content. Given these substantial concerns, the article does not meet the standards required for publication under our editorial guidelines.