Judge Signals Getty Could Fortify Copyright Claims Against Stability AI

Federal judge appears open to trimming stock photo company's lawsuit but hints it could strengthen infringement allegations.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 12:30am by Ben Kaplan

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A highly detailed, glowing 3D macro illustration of a complex circuit board with pulsing neon cyan and magenta lights, conceptually representing the digital infrastructure powering AI image generation.The legal battle over AI's use of copyrighted content intensifies as a judge signals Getty Images could fortify its claims against Stability AI.San Francisco Today

A federal judge in San Francisco signaled that Getty Images could potentially strengthen its copyright infringement lawsuit against AI image generator Stability AI. During a hearing, the judge pressed Getty on whether it had sufficiently demonstrated Stability's intent to facilitate copyright infringement, which is required to claim the AI company violated the law. The judge indicated she may be open to trimming parts of Getty's lawsuit, but also suggested the stock photo company could beef up its core copyright claims against Stability.

Why it matters

This case highlights the ongoing legal battles between traditional media companies and emerging AI technologies over the use of copyrighted content. The outcome could set an important precedent for how AI systems can lawfully leverage existing creative works to train their models.

The details

During the hearing, the judge focused on whether Getty had adequately shown that Stability intended to enable copyright infringement when its AI software produced images bearing the Getty watermark. The stock photo company alleges Stability copied more than 12 million of its photographs without permission to build a competing business. The judge indicated she may be open to trimming parts of Getty's lawsuit, but also suggested the company could potentially strengthen its core copyright claims against Stability.

  • The hearing took place on Tuesday, April 8, 2026.

The players

Getty Images

A major stock photo company that has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against AI image generator Stability AI.

Stability AI

An AI company that has been accused by Getty Images of copying more than 12 million of its photographs without permission to build a competing business.

Judge Trina L. Thompson

The federal judge presiding over the copyright infringement case between Getty Images and Stability AI.

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What’s next

The judge will decide whether to allow Getty to amend its lawsuit against Stability AI to strengthen its copyright infringement claims.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing legal tensions between traditional media companies and emerging AI technologies over the use of copyrighted content. The outcome could set an important precedent for how AI systems can lawfully leverage existing creative works to train their models.