Overview
- Mrs Justice Joanna Smith ruled that Stable Diffusion is not an “infringing copy,” dismissing Getty Images’ secondary copyright claim.
- The court found limited trademark infringement where Getty watermarks appeared in AI‑generated images, describing the findings as historic yet extremely limited in scope and tied to older model versions.
- Getty dropped its primary copyright claim about training during the trial due to evidential and jurisdictional issues over where training occurred.
- Both companies declared partial victories, with Stability AI saying the decision resolves the core copyright concerns and Getty saying it will carry UK factual findings into its U.S. lawsuit.
- The judgment underscores unresolved jurisdiction and transparency gaps in AI training and has intensified calls for clearer government guidance now under UK consultation.