Getty Images has filed a landmark copyright lawsuit against Stability AI at London’s High Court, with proceedings starting on June 9, 2025. The case may set a precedent for copyright law concerning AI.

Getty alleges that Stability AI violated its copyright by using millions of its images to train the Stable Diffusion system, which generates images from text inputs. The company has also filed a similar lawsuit against Stability AI in the United States.

Stability AI denies these allegations, arguing that its AI tools draw on collective human knowledge and comply with fair use and freedom of expression principles.

The company has garnered substantial funding, including support from advertising firm WPP.

This case is part of several global legal battles addressing the use of copyright-protected material in training AI models. Legal experts suggest the outcome could significantly affect copyright protections and government policies.

This lawsuit arises as the creative sector faces legal and ethical challenges posed by AI technologies capable of generating original content.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Getty Images’ history of copyright disputes reveals complex relationship with image rights

This isn’t Getty’s first major copyright battle, showcasing the company’s dual role as both enforcer and defendant in image rights cases.

In 2016, photographer Carol Highsmith sued Getty for $1 billion after discovering the company was selling her public domain images without proper attribution, despite her having donated them to the Library of Congress for free public use 1.

While that case was largely dismissed, with the judge ruling that public domain works can be legally licensed, it highlighted tensions between content creators’ intentions and commercial licensing practices 2.

Getty’s current lawsuit against Stability AI represents the other side of this dynamic, with Getty now acting as the copyright enforcer rather than the alleged infringer. This demonstrates how established media companies are adapting their legal strategies to address AI’s impact on their business models.

The lawsuit comes amid Getty CEO Craig Peters’ statements that Stability AI’s use of 12 million Getty images constitutes “unfair competition and theft,” showing how traditional content providers are positioning themselves in the emerging AI landscape 3.

2️⃣ Early court rulings suggest AI companies may face uphill copyright battles

Recent legal decisions indicate courts may be increasingly receptive to copyright holders’ claims against AI companies, creating momentum that could influence the Getty case.