Getty Images Drops Copyright Claims in UK Lawsuit Against Stability AI
- tech360.tv
- Jun 26, 2025
- 2 min read
Getty Images has withdrawn its copyright infringement allegations in a high-profile lawsuit against artificial intelligence company Stability AI, as closing arguments began Wednesday at Britain’s High Court.
The move eliminates a central component of Getty’s case against the London-based firm, which developed the AI image generator Stable Diffusion. The case has drawn attention across the creative and tech industries due to its potential legal implications.
Getty filed lawsuits in both the United Kingdom and the United States in early 2023, challenging the use of its image library to train AI systems. The company argued that Stability’s AI models were trained on copyrighted images, including those bearing Getty’s watermark.
However, Getty faced difficulties proving that the AI training occurred in the UK. Although Stability is headquartered in London, the training was conducted on servers operated by U.S. tech company Amazon.
“It was always anticipated to be challenging to prove that connection to the U.K. because we know that most of the training happened in the U.S.,” said AI legal expert Alex Shandro, who observed the trial for law firm A&O Shearman.
Getty’s decision to drop the copyright claim follows witness and expert testimony. In its closing arguments, Getty said it would now focus on claims of trademark infringement, passing off, and secondary copyright infringement.
The company continues to allege that Stability’s AI model was trained on images containing Getty’s watermark, which were sometimes reproduced in generated images. Getty also argues that even if the training occurred outside the UK, Stability could still be liable under British law if the AI-generated images are distributed within the country.
Stability welcomed the development, stating, “We are pleased to see Getty’s decision to drop multiple claims after the conclusion of testimony. We are grateful for the time and effort the U.K. court has put forth to address the important matters in this case. We look forward to the court’s final judgment.”
The trial’s closing arguments are expected to continue through the end of the week. A written ruling will be issued at a later date.
Legal experts say the judge’s decision on the remaining claims could influence how the UK regulates AI tools trained abroad but used domestically.
Getty Images dropped copyright claims in UK lawsuit against Stability AI
The case now focuses on trademark infringement and related issues
Getty faced challenges proving AI training occurred in the UK
Source: AP NEWS
