Getty Images largely loses landmark UK lawsuit over AI image generator

Seattle-based Getty accuses Stability AI of using its images to "train" its Stable Diffusion system

A screengrab from Stability AI’s official website

Getty Images largely lost its landmark lawsuit against artificial intelligence company Stability AI over its image generator at London's High Court on Tuesday.

Seattle-based Getty, which produces editorial content and creative stock images and video, accused Stability AI of using its images to "train" its Stable Diffusion system, which can generate images from text inputs.

The company sued Stability AI for trademark infringement and for secondary copyright infringement, alleging that Stability AI imported into the United Kingdom an AI model which breached its copyright.

Judge Joanna Smith said in a written ruling that Getty had succeeded "in part" on trademark infringement, but that her findings were "both historic and extremely limited in scope". She also dismissed the secondary copyright infringement claim.