Getty targets AI image generator in landmark copyright suit

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Getty targets AI image generator in landmark copyright suit

AdobeStock_433925015_Editorial_Use_Only (1).jpeg

The case is one of the first copyright disputes over AI-powered image generators and the data used to train them

Getty Images is suing the company behind the artificial intelligence-powered image generator Stable Diffusion for copyright infringement, it was confirmed today, January 17.

A notice of action was filed at the England and Wales High Court yesterday by law firm Fieldfisher on behalf of Getty.

In a statement published today, Getty said Stability AI, the creator of Stable Diffusion, unlawfully copied millions of copyright-protected images and the associated metadata.

Getty said it was willing to provide licences to its images for AI training purposes, but that Stability AI had so far ignored viable licensing options out of its own commercial interest.

The case is one of the first copyright lawsuits over AI-generated images.

On January 13, three artists filed a separate class action suit against a group of AI image developers, including Stability AI at the District Court for the Northern District of California for their alleged misuse of copyright-protected images.

The programs that develop these images rely on training data pulled from the internet.

An analysis of 12 million images used to train Stable Diffusion found that 15,000 came from Getty Images.

A Stability AI spokesperson said: "Please know that we take these matters seriously.

"It is unusual that we have been informed about this intended legal action via the press. We are still awaiting the service of any documents. Should we receive them, we will comment appropriately.”

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Attorneys explain why there are early signs that the US Supreme Court could rule in favour of ISP Cox in a copyright dispute
A swathe of UPC-related hires suggests firms are taking the forum seriously, as questions over the transitional stage begin
A win for Nintendo in China and King & Spalding hiring a prominent patent litigator were also among the top talking points
Rebecca Newman at Addleshaw Goddard, who live-reported on the seminal dispute, unpicks the trials and tribulations of the case and considers its impact
Attorneys predict how Lululemon’s trade dress and design patent suit against Costco could play out
Lawyers at Linklaters analyse some of the key UPC trends so far, and look ahead to life beyond the transition period
David Rodrigues, who previously worked at an IP boutique, said he may become more involved in transactional work at his new firm
Indian smartphone maker Lava must pay $2.3 million as a security deposit for past sales, as its dispute with Dolby over audio coding SEPs plays out
Powell Gilbert’s opening in Düsseldorf, complete with a new partner hire, continues this summer’s trend of UPC-related lateral movement
IP leaders at Brandsmiths and Bird & Bird, who were on opposing sides at the UK Supreme Court in Iconix v Dream Pairs, unpick the landmark case and its ramifications
Gift this article