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16 January 2026
Issue: 8145 / Categories: Legal News , Copyright , Artificial intelligence , Intellectual property , Technology
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NLJ this week: Failure to deliver in Getty v Stability AI

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The long-awaited Getty Images v Stability AI judgment arrived at the end of last year—but not with the seismic impact many expected. In this week's issue of NLJ, experts from Arnold & Porter dissect a ruling that is ‘historic’ yet tightly confined

The High Court found limited trade mark infringement where AI-generated images reproduced Getty watermarks, but rejected broader claims of dilution, passing off, and secondary copyright infringement. Crucially, the court held that AI models are not, in themselves, infringing copies of their training data.

The article explains why Getty’s evidential hurdles proved decisive: contrived prompts and small samples were not enough to show real-world infringement in the UK.

The authors argue the case sets a demanding standard for future AI claims, requiring robust, jurisdiction-specific evidence tied to actual user behaviour. For rights-holders and developers alike, the lesson is clear—speculation will not substitute for proof in the AI age.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Gateley Legal—Jack Kelly

Gateley Legal—Jack Kelly

Gateley Legal expands Midlands residential development team

Gibson Dunn—Richard Surtees

Gibson Dunn—Richard Surtees

Gibson Dunn adds employee benefits and executive compensation practice in London with partner Richard Surtees

Laytons ETL—Alec Cameron

Laytons ETL—Alec Cameron

Laytons ETL appoints new partner and head of intellectual property disputes

NEWS
A series of recent decisions has clarified important principles across property law, from perpetuities to lease renewals and public rights over land
Employers cannot rely on wellbeing services alone to defend workplace stress claims after a High Court decision awarding almost £1m to an overworked employee
Andy Burnham's brand of 'Manchesterism' could offer fresh thinking on legal aid and access to justice if it reaches Westminster, according to Roger Smith, NLJ columnist and former director of JUSTICE
The constitutional fallout from a change of prime minister, rather than the politics, is under scrutiny as questions arise over the limits of executive authority in a leadership transition
The legal profession is undergoing a fundamental shift from selling services to creating technology-enabled products, according to Professor Luke Mason, Head of School of Law at Regent's University London
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