Getty Images’ high-profile copyright lawsuit against AI firm Stability AI opens at London’s High Court on Monday, in a case expected to set a significant legal precedent for AI.
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The Seattle-based image provider accuses Stability AI of violating its copyright by using Getty’s images to train its AI model, Stable Diffusion, which generates images based on text prompts.
Getty Images, which is also pursuing a parallel lawsuit against Stability AI in the United States, alleges that the company illegally scraped millions of images from its platforms to train and develop the Stable Diffusion model.
Stability AI backed by hundreds of millions in funding and a recent investment from global advertising giant WPP denies any wrongdoing and is actively contesting the case.
A spokesperson for Stability AI stated that “the broader issue centers on technological innovation and the freedom of ideas,” emphasizing that “artists using our tools create works rooted in collective human knowledge, which underpins fair use and freedom of expression.”
Getty’s lawsuit is one of several filed in the UK, U.S., and other jurisdictions concerning the use of copyrighted material to train AI systems, following the widespread adoption of tools like ChatGPT over the past two years.
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The creative sector is facing growing legal and ethical challenges posed by AI models capable of generating original content after being trained on existing works. High-profile figures, including Elton John, have called for stronger safeguards for artists.
Legal experts say the outcome of Getty’s case could significantly influence copyright law and may shape future government policy on AI-related protections.
“Legally, we’re in uncharted territory. This case will be pivotal in setting the boundaries of the monopoly granted by UK copyright in the age of AI,” Rebecca Newman, a lawyer at Addleshaw Goddard, who is not involved in the case, said.
She added that a victory for Getty could mean that Stability AI and other developers will face further lawsuits.
Cerys Wyn Davies, from the law firm Pinsent Masons, said the High Court’s ruling “could have a major bearing on market practice and the UK’s attractiveness as a jurisdiction for AI development”.