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NLJ this week: AI art, copyright law & the creative clash

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Writing in NLJ this week, Ben Travers of Foot Anstey examines the unresolved legal tensions at the heart of AI-generated content, following the high-profile Getty v Stability AI case. Although the primary copyright claim was dropped, Travers argues the core issues remain: can AI be trained on copyrighted material without permission, and who owns the output?

He notes that while IP law has adapted to past tech shifts—from VCRs to streaming—it now faces a new challenge: users increasingly see AI as a creative partner, not just a tool. This raises questions about authorship, infringement, and whether existing frameworks—designed for human creators—can cope.

Travers warns that users may unwittingly cede rights, echoing early social media missteps. As governments seek to balance innovation with protection, Travers calls for legal clarity on how copyright applies to AI training, output, and liability—before the creative landscape is reshaped beyond recognition.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Slater Heelis—Charlotte Beck

Slater Heelis—Charlotte Beck

Partner and Manchester office lead appointed head of family

Civil Justice Council—Nigel Teasdale

Civil Justice Council—Nigel Teasdale

DWF insurance services director appointed to Civil Justice Council

R3—Jodie Wildridge

R3—Jodie Wildridge

Kings Chambers barrister appointed chair of R3 Yorkshire

NEWS

The abolition of assured shorthold tenancies and section 21 evictions marks the beginning of a ‘brave new world’ for England’s rental sector, writes Daniel Bacon of Seddons GSC

Stephen Gold’s latest Civil Way column rounds up a flurry of procedural and regulatory changes reshaping housing, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and personal injury litigation
Patients are being systematically failed by an NHS complaints regime that is opaque, poorly enforced and often stacked against them, argues Charles Davey of The Barrister Group
A wealthy Russian divorce battle has produced a sharp warning about trying to challenge foreign nuptial agreements in the wrong English court. Writing in NLJ this week, Vanessa Friend and Robert Jackson of Hodge Jones & Allen examine Timokhin v Timokhina, where the High Court enforced Russian judgments arising from a prenuptial agreement despite arguments based on the landmark Radmacher decision
An obscure Victorian tort may be heading for an unexpected revival after a significant Privy Council ruling that could reshape liability for dangerous escapes, according to Richard Buckley, barrister and emeritus professor of law at the University of Reading
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