3 Count: Imminent Closure

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1: Landmark Stability AI vs Getty Images Copyright Lawsuit to Move Ahead to Trial

First off today, Moohita Kaur Garg at WION reports that, in the UK, a court has ruled that Getty Images’ lawsuit against Stability AI can progress and head toward a possible trial.

Getty Images sued Stability AI, alleging that the AI company illegally used their images to train their AI system, Stable Diffusion. However, Stability AI argued that the case should be tossed on the grounds that the training took place in Germany, not the UK.

However, the judge was not convinced by the evidence presented by Stability Ai, saying that there were inconsistencies with other available proof. Saying that the evidence may be “inaccurate, or incomplete” the judge said this was an issue best resolved at a full trial, just opting not to dismiss the case.

2: Record Labels Urge Court to Uphold $47 Million Piracy Liability Verdict

Next up today, Ernesto Van der Sar at Torrentfreak writes that the major US record labels have responded to an appeal by internet service provider Grande Communications, saying that a previous $47 million judgement against the ISP should be allowed to stand.

The labels sued Grande alleging that the provider was not doing enough to stop piracy on its network, in particular, not terminating the accounts of repeat infringers. At a trial, the jury sided with the record labels, awarding them $47 million in damages, though Grande did appeal.

Grande claimed that the decision should be set aside because the evidence collected by the labels is seen as unreliable and that, according to a recent ruling, ISPs shouldn’t be held liable for the actions of their users. However, the record labels counter those notions, saying that the evidence was reliable enough to convince a jury and that the case Grande is citing doesn’t deal with copyright, but with terrorist fundraising.

3: The Top Manga and Webtoon Piracy Site May Be Closed Soon

Finally today, Nick Valdez at Comicbook.com reports that M, one of the largest manga and webtoon piracy sites, may be facing imminent closure as a rightsholder group claims to have identified the individuals behind the site.

The news was announced by Kakao Entertainment, a publisher of manga comics, who claim to have spent five years researching the site and have just now learned the identities of those behind it and are planning both criminal and civil action against them.

The site is alleged to have over 27,000 pirated comics and to have received about 15 billion page views in October. Kakao claims that the site causes damages about 3 trillion won ($2.3 billion) every month.

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