Legal Battle Over the Use of AI Image Developers’ Work Continues
A recent development in the legal battle over the use of AI image developers’ work has seen a federal judge order the copyright infringement case against Stability AI, Midjourney, and the online art community DeviantART to proceed. Court documents released recently reveal that artists Sarah Andersen, Kelly McKernan, Karla Ortiz, and others have alleged that these developers used their work without permission to train their respective AI models.
Court Rulings and Decisions
In a ruling by U.S. District Judge William Orrick, certain claims of infringement under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA) and “unjust enrichment” were dismissed. However, the claims of copyright and trademark infringement were allowed to proceed, as the judge denied the defendant’s motion to dismiss these claims, emphasizing the importance of fair use in the case.
- Claims of infringement under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA) were dismissed.
- The claims of copyright and trademark infringement were allowed to proceed.
Surviving the Legal Battle
According to IP litigator Mark Lezama, the court’s decision to let certain claims survive signifies a small victory for the artists involved. The case will now move forward, and the artists have the opportunity to gather evidence to support their claims, particularly in relation to the fair use defense.
- The court’s decision allows the artists to proceed with their claims, focusing on fair use.
- Artists such as Hawke Southworth, Grzegorz Rutkowski, and others are part of the lawsuit.
Dismissal and Continued Legal Action
In a previous ruling by Judge Orrick, most claims against AI generator Midjourney and DeviantArt were dismissed due to insufficient evidence. However, a separate claim of infringement by Andersen against Stability AI was allowed to move forward, indicating a mixed outcome in the legal battle.
- Claims against AI generator Midjourney and DeviantArt were dismissed previously.
- A separate claim of infringement against Stability AI by Andersen was allowed to proceed.
The Fallout and Resignation
Following the legal implications, Stability AI’s head of Audio, Ed Newton-Rex, resigned from the company citing disagreements over the use of copyrighted material. This move highlights the ethical considerations and controversies surrounding the use of copyrighted works in training AI models.
Hot Take 🚀
The ongoing legal battles between artists and AI developers underscore the complexities of copyright infringement and fair use in the digital age. The outcome of these cases could have far-reaching implications for the use of AI technologies in the future.
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