Getty Images and AI
Getty fought AI in court, then licensed its library to OpenAI
Getty is navigating AI on three fronts: a largely unsuccessful copyright suit against Stability AI, a still-pending mega-merger with Shutterstock, and a new ChatGPT display deal that briefly doubled its battered stock.
What happened
- UK High Court ruled Nov 4 2025 in Getty v Stability AI; Getty had dropped its main training-copyright claim and won only narrow trademark findings.
- Announced an OpenAI display deal (June 2026) to surface its images in ChatGPT; shares jumped ~145% intraday, closing ~90% up near $1.15 (from ~$0.61).
- Shutterstock merger (announced Jan 2025) still not closed by mid-2026: DOJ cleared it Feb 2026, but the UK CMA in May 2026 required an editorial divestiture.
- Stock traded near penny-stock levels in 2026, far below its 2022 IPO-era highs.
AI angle
Generative AI both threatens Getty's licensing model (the Stability suit) and creates new revenue, as AI platforms like OpenAI pay to display Getty's authentic, rights-cleared imagery.
Sources
AI company card
Getty Images
Getty fought AI in court, then licensed its library to OpenAI. Generative AI both threatens Getty's licensing model (the Stability suit) and creates new revenue, as AI platforms like OpenAI pay to display Getty's authentic, rights-cleared imagery.
AIFear.com
Company-impact notes are curated, dated summaries; this profile set was last web-verified on 2026-06-27. Informational only — not investment advice. Spotted something stale? Request a correction.