Source: Tech Monitor

Tech Monitor offers a detailed analysis of the pivotal copyright infringement lawsuit brought by Getty Images against Stability AI, the creator of the AI image generator Stable Diffusion. Getty, a major global supplier of stock images, alleges that Stability AI illegally copied millions of its images, complete with their watermarks, from the internet to train its AI model without obtaining a license or providing compensation. This case is considered a landmark legal challenge that could set a crucial precedent for the entire generative AI industry.

The commentary dissects the core legal claims and potential defenses. Getty's case centers on direct copyright infringement, arguing that the unauthorized scraping and copying of its image library is a clear violation of its intellectual property rights. Stability AI, in its defense, is expected to argue that its use of the images constitutes "fair use" (in its US case) or "fair dealing" (in the UK), claiming that the AI model "learns" from the images in a transformative way rather than simply reproducing them. The outcome of this legal battle is being closely watched, as it will significantly influence the rules governing how AI models can be trained and whether developers must license the data they use.