Getty Images vs. Stability AI: Another case of AI and Copyright Infringement
The Case
Earlier this year, Getty Images filed a lawsuit in the US against Stability AI. The case revolves around Stability AI’s alleged infringement of Getty Images’ intellectual property rights by copying more than 12 million photographs from Getty Images’ collection, along with the associated captions and metadata, without permission or compensation. It was also reported that Getty issued a similar claim in the UK, to prevent Stability AI selling its products in the UK.
Key Issues
This case is yet another example of AI creating new legal issues in copyright law. The first is whether the use of copyright material constitutes a breach when it is used to train AI systems, or when the AI produces an output that is a product of the original material. Secondly, it’s alleged within the claim that Stability AI now competes directly with Getty Images by marketing Stable Diffusion and its DreamStudio interface to those seeking creative imagery, all by using Getty’s content, which has been instrumental to its success to date. Insofar as the original copyright was infringed, the scale for damages could span into unprecedented quantities.