Getty Images Sues Stability AI in Landmark Copyright Case

Getty Images has initiated a high-stakes copyright lawsuit against Stability AI at London's High Court, marking a pivotal moment for AI-related intellectual property law. The image licensing giant alleges the AI firm unlawfully used millions of copyrighted photographs to train its Stable Diffusion model, with claims spanning copyright infringement, database rights violations, and trademark disputes.

The case has drawn attention from artists like Sir Elton John advocating for stronger creator protections, while Stability AI defends its position by framing AI-generated content as leveraging "collective human knowledge" under fair use doctrines. Legal experts note the UK proceeding ventures into uncharted legal territory that could redefine copyright boundaries in the AI era.