Amazon sued for using AI to copy artist’s work without permission

Artificial intelligence was used to make copies of the work of a digital artist, for sale on Amazon’s site, lawsuit says.<br><br>Amazon copied a digital artist’s work and used it to train a generative AI model that produced more than 1,000 new images, which were sold on Amazon’s website without permission, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.<br><br>The case is the latest in a wave of copyright infringement lawsuits targeting companies that use AI to generate new works based on existing creative content. The suits have been sparked by the rapid growth of AI and deepfakes, which have raised questions about ownership and uses for digital works.<br><br>The artist, known as Sarah Dillon, filed a complaint against Amazon and its subsidiary DeepScribe Inc., the maker of generative AI tool DeepScribe, in the US District Court for the District of Maryland. The complaint alleges copyright infringement and violation of Dillon’s trademark.<br><br>Amazon and DeepScribe’s use of Dillon’s work violates the artist’s exclusive rights “to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies, and display publicly” Dillon’s copyrights works, the complaint says.<br><br>Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.<br><br>Dillon, the creative director at digital art studio Zomd, creates digital art and sells it as unique NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, which serve as ownership certificates stored on blockchain networks. The lawsuit says Dillon’s work was taken from OpenSea, a platform that sells and trades NFTs, and used to train the AI model.<br><br>Among the allegedly copied works is Dillon’s digital art collection of 1,000 portraits of women called, “The Neons.” Dillon said the images were made with brushstrokes so detailed that they can be mistaken for paintings.<br><br>Generative AI works created using Dillon’s images were altered to remove Dillon’s signature and copyright notices, but still featured the same distinctive brushstrokes and style of Dillon’s original works, according to the lawsuit.<br><br>Amazon is selling hundreds of AI art pieces that allegedly infringe on Dillon’s copyright for around $40 each, the lawsuit says. The pieces are created in a style called “Neon Portraits” and marked “AI-generated artwork.”<br><br>In addition to Amazon, Dillon is also suing a number of independent sellers who are listed as unidentified defendants in the lawsuit. At least 15 sellers are listed on Amazon as offering the allegedly infringed works.<br><br>The lawsuit is asking the court to permanently bar Amazon, DeepScribe and the independent sellers from using Dillon’s work in the future. It also seeks a court order requiring Amazon to destroy any copies of the allegedly infringed works.<br><br>Dillon is also seeking compensatory and punitive damages and actual damages of at least $2,500 for each infringed work, which could amount to millions of dollars.<br><br>The case is Dillon v. Amazon.Com Inc, US District Court for the District of Maryland, 24 cv-02641.<br><br>—<br><br>[coordination, analysis and writing by Jon Swartz ([email protected])]