header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
16 January 2026 / Tom Magnani , Dr Beatriz San Martin , Jessica Gillotte , Ally Myers
Issue: 8145 / Categories: Features , Copyright , Artificial intelligence , Intellectual property , Technology
printer mail-detail

Getty Images v Stability AI: Much ado about little

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
240104
The Getty Images judgment fails to deliver on expectations. Experts from the IP & Technology teams at Arnold & Porter explain why
  • Summarises the highlights of the court’s findings in Getty Images v Stability AI— a ‘historic’ but ‘extremely limited’ ruling.
  • Sets out the impact the judgment will have on future AI infringement cases.

A judge in the High Court of Justice is the latest to weigh in on liability for use of intellectual property by AI companies, in Getty Images (US) Inc and others v Stability AI Ltd [2025] EWHC 2863 (Ch). Mrs Justice Joanna Smith DBE considered claims that (i) Stability AI infringed Getty Images’ registered trade marks by generating synthetic image outputs containing similar marks using its AI model, Stable Diffusion, and (ii) Stability AI infringed the copyright in Getty’s visual content by using Getty’s images to train models of Stable Diffusion.

In a painstakingly detailed 205-page judgment, Mrs Justice

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
Ogier—Martin Livingston

Ogier—Martin Livingston

Martin Livingston joins Ogier in Cayman to strengthen regulatory support

Sidley—Philip Hertz & Melissa Coakley

Sidley—Philip Hertz & Melissa Coakley

Blake Morgan—47 promotions

Blake Morgan—47 promotions

Blake Morgan announces 47 summer promotions across UK offices

NEWS
Read All
NLJ this week: Consultant firms face tougher scrutiny
Consultant-led law firms should prepare for closer regulatory attention as oversight evolves
NLJ this week: AI grievances demand human judgement
Artificial intelligence may draft workplace grievances, but employers cannot treat them any differently from conventional complaints
NLJ this week: Dishonesty, promotions & procedural headaches
From dishonest claimants to judicial promotions and procedural skirmishes, the latest legal developments offer plenty for litigators to digest
NLJ this week: Remote hearings reshape the courtroom
Fresh guidance is set to influence how courts decide whether hearings take place online or in person
NLJ this week: Can landlords force the door?
County Court judges remain divided over whether landlords can lawfully force entry to carry out essential safety inspections after tenants ignore access injunctions
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll