Getty, Adobe, and the Training-Data Fight
Generative image AI was trained on the internet's pictures, and when the money started flowing, who owned those pictures became one of the most contested fights in the industry. Getty Images, whose whole business rests on licensing professional photography, alleged its images had trained models like Stable Diffusion without permission and sued Stability AI in the US and UK, with mixed results, including a UK High Court ruling in late 2025 that rejected its central copyright claims. Adobe, meanwhile, went a completely different direction with Firefly.
This case sharpens a strategic choice every company building on others' assets eventually faces: defend the existing business in court, or build a new one on rights you actually control. One is reactive; the other can be a moat. Open the app to map where your own product depends on inputs you do not own, and what changing rules would cost you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Getty Images versus Stability AI lawsuit about?
Getty Images, whose business rests on licensing professional photography, alleged its images were used to train models like Stable Diffusion without permission and sued Stability AI in the US and UK. The results were mixed, including a UK High Court ruling in late 2025 that rejected Getty's central copyright claims. It is one of the most contested fights over AI training data.
How did Adobe approach generative AI differently with Firefly?
Rather than fight in court, Adobe built Firefly on rights it actually controlled, positioning it as commercially safe generative AI. It chose to create a new business on licensed inputs instead of defending the old one. That contrast is the heart of the case.
Why does the AI training-data fight matter for companies?
It exposes how much of generative AI depends on inputs companies do not own, and how shifting copyright rules could upend those businesses. The fight over who owned the internet's pictures became one of the industry's biggest legal battles. The outcome shapes who can build defensibly on AI.
What can founders learn from Getty and Adobe?
Every company building on others' assets eventually faces a choice: defend the existing business in court, or build a new one on rights you actually control, where the latter can become a moat. The lesson is to map where your product depends on inputs you do not own. CaseBook turns this into a move you apply to your own company, with an AI coach that reads your answer.