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In a Blow for Artists, a Federal Judge Has Sided With Three A.I. Companies in a Copyright Dispute

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Summary

On October 30, a federal judge largely sided with three A.I. companies in a copyright infringement class action lawsuit filed by three artists. The judge dismissed almost all the claims of the artists, but allowed one count of copyright infringement to move forward against Stability A.I. The artists are permitted to provide clarity on how each of the three defendants violated their copyrights. The judge made a distinction between works that are copyrighted and works that are not. The artists will have to prove “substantial similarity” between a generated work and their image used to train the A.I. The battle is not yet over, as the artists have been given permission to amend most of their other claims.

Q&As

What were the claims that three artists made against three A.I. companies in a copyright dispute?
The claims that three artists made against three A.I. companies in a copyright dispute were that the companies had infringed on their copyrights, removed or altered their copyright management information, or violated their rights of publicity.

What ruling did the federal judge make in the case?
The federal judge largely sided with the companies behind the artificial intelligence image generators, dismissing almost all the claims the three artists had made against them.

How did the judge distinguish between copyrighted and non-copyrighted works?
The judge made a distinction between works that are copyrighted and works that are not by noting that copyrights have to be registered to bring a lawsuit for alleged infringement.

What did the plaintiffs have to prove to demonstrate copyright infringement?
The plaintiffs had to prove “substantial similarity” between a generated work and their image used to train the A.I.

What evidence did the judge allow the plaintiffs to provide to show copyright violations?
The judge allowed the plaintiffs to provide clarity on how each of the three defendants “separately violated their copyrights, removed or altered their copyright management information, or violated their rights of publicity and plausible facts in support.” He also allowed one count of copyright infringement to move forward against Stability A.I. for allegedly copying the 16 works for which Anderson had registered her copyrights with the U.S. Copyright Office.

AI Comments

👍 This is great news for artists as the court has allowed one count of copyright infringement to move forward against Stability A.I., showing that the court is recognizing the rights of artists.

👎 This is a blow to the three artists who had filed the lawsuit as the court dismissed most of their claims without the ability to refile.

AI Discussion

Me: It talks about a recent copyright infringement class action lawsuit against three AI companies. A federal judge sided with the companies, largely dismissing the claims made by the three artists who had filed the lawsuit. The judge allowed one count of copyright infringement to proceed against one of the companies, but dismissed the other claims.

Friend: That's really unfortunate. It's a reminder of how technology is outpacing the law. It's hard to protect your artistic works when they are so easily shared with the internet and with AI.

Me: Exactly. And it's not just about copyright infringement. AI has the potential to create images and works that are indistinguishable from those created by humans. In an age where intellectual property is becoming more and more important, this could have serious implications for the future of the arts.

Action items

Research copyright laws and regulations to better understand the legal implications of using AI-generated images.
Join a professional organization or network of artists to stay informed about the latest developments in copyright law and AI technology.
Reach out to the three artists involved in the lawsuit to learn more about their experience and how they are advocating for artists’ rights in the digital age.

Technical terms

Class Action Suit: A lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court.
Copyright Infringement: The unauthorized use of copyrighted material in a manner that violates one of the copyright owner's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.
Copyright Management Information: Information associated with a copyrighted work that identifies the work, the copyright owner, and other related information.
Copyright: A form of intellectual property that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights to its use and distribution.
Plaintiffs: The people who bring a lawsuit against another person or entity.
Defendants: The people or entities against whom a lawsuit is brought.
U.S. Copyright Office: The federal agency responsible for registering copyrights and providing information about copyright law.
Substantial Similarity: A legal test used to determine whether a work has been copied from another work.