Overview

• The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, accuses MiniMax of building and marketing Hailuo AI using studio-owned intellectual property.
• The complaint cites examples of downloadable images and videos generated from simple prompts featuring characters such as Darth Vader, the Minions and Wonder Woman, often with Hailuo branding.
• Studios say MiniMax ignored cease‑and‑desist demands and promoted Hailuo as a “Hollywood studio in your pocket” using protected characters in ads.
• The filing seeks disgorgement of profits and statutory damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work, along with a permanent injunction to halt the alleged infringement.
• MiniMax, a Shanghai-based startup reported to be targeting a $3–4 billion IPO and backed by investors including Alibaba and Tencent, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.