August Newsbreak

NewsLegalconferenceCopyright
Written By Leslie@dmla

In this issue:

  • IDMLC Information

  • DMLA News

  • Copyright Update

Int’l Digital Media Licensing Conference

Tick Tock — we are 56 away until DMLA’s 30th annual conference kicks off! Don’t miss the International Digital Media Licensing Conference (#IDMLC). Purchase your tickets and book your hotel now.

Tickets HERE (book now, early bird pricing ends 9.3.25):

Member, individual all-access pass - $1008
Non-member, individual all-access pass - $1435


Book Hotel HERE (Room block cut-off 9.27.25)

Room Rate, $259 - for free internet sign up for Marriott Bonvoy HERE. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

KEYNOTE

In an era of deepfakes, AI-generated media, and politicized narratives, the integrity of journalism is under greater pressure than ever. How do we safeguard truth and rebuild trust in an information ecosystem overwhelmed by disinformation?

This October, the International Digital Media Licensing Conference will feature an unforgettable keynote by Robyn Curnow — veteran international journalist, former CNN anchor, and host of the critically acclaimed podcast Searching for America.

With a career spanning global conflict zones, breaking news desks, and interviews with world leaders, Robyn brings a powerful perspective on how journalism must evolve to meet today’s challenges. In her keynote, she’ll explore:

  • The future of journalism in the age of AI

  • The power of transparency and ethics in restoring public confidence

  • What it takes to protect editorial integrity and media accountability

As the media licensing industry confronts the blurred lines between fact and fabrication, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss

Great panels are being planned by the conference committee, session champions and moderators:

  • Robyn Curnow, Former CNN Anchor — The Future of Journalism

  • In the Trenches

  • How to Keep Images Safe in the Age of AI

  • U.S. Copyright Office (USCO)

  • Preserving History — building, managing and monetizing archives

  • Head Start for 2026: Trends in content and technology

  • AI, the Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

  • The Future of Advertising in the Age of AI

  • SEO & Generative Search

  • Legal Hot Topics

Great social and networking events are being planned:

  • Opening Reception

  • Sponsor Showcase

  • Day One networking and cocktail reception

  • Day One Dine-arounds, back by popular demand

  • Day Two - closing event

We also recommend staying at the Marriott Marquis. Some of the best connections are made at breakfast & in the hotel bar following the days events.

DMLA News

DMLA Board Openings

We currently have two open leadership opportunities on the DMLA Board. The first is an At-Large Board seat, a voting position open to any eligible member interested in helping shape the direction of the organization. The second is the role of Nominations and Elections Chair, a key position responsible for overseeing board nominations and the election process. The next DMLA elections will be in 2026.

If you're interested in serving or would like to recommend someone, please reach out to us at admin@dmla.org.

New SEO & AI Search Working Group

AI-powered search—from ChatGPT and Claude to Google’s AI Overviews—is transforming how content is discovered, consumed, and attributed. To help our industry adapt to this shift from SEO to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), DMLA is launching a new SEO & AI Search Working Group.

We’re thrilled that Roxana Stingu, Head of Search & SEO at DMLA member company, Alamy, will chair the group. With more than 15 years of expertise in technical SEO, image search, and AI integration, Roxana brings the vision and experience needed to guide this important initiative.

The group will develop best practices, policy recommendations, and strategies for attribution, licensing, monetization, and authoritative positioning in AI-driven search environments.

Interested in joining? Please contact Joe Naylor (president@dmla.org) or Leslie Hughes (leslie@dmla.org) by August 31. Participation is open to DMLA members with experience in SEO, content strategy, or AI search.

Interested in DMLA Membership?

DMLA is offering a great promotion for those companies considering attending the IDMLC and interested in membership. We are pro-rating membership to the end of this year, and offering a big discount on membership. combined with the discount for member-priced ticket, this is a big savings. Now is a great time to join. For more information on the Benefits of Membership, go HERE. To join reach out to membership@dmla.org.

Copyright Corner

Update on the Bartz ruling

A recent ruling turned up the heat in the evolving clash between generative AI and the publishing world.

As previously reported, on June 23, Judge William Alsup delivered a mixed verdict in Bartz v. Anthropic (N.D. Cal.), affirming that Anthropic’s use of copyrighted works was “exceedingly transformative”—a win under fair use—yet drawing a firm line against the use of pirated content, labeling it “inherently, irredeemably infringing.” Digital Content Next

Fast forward to July 17—the court granted class certification to the authors whose works were allegedly sourced from platforms like LibGen, potentially exposing Anthropic to statutory damages approaching $1.5 trillion (that’s roughly 25 times its market value).
Digital Content Next

What’s at stake is more than just numbers. This case taps into a broader fight over how content creators can assert control: Are bots bypassing paywalls just another form of piracy? Can publishers finally negotiate licensing agreements that reflect the value of their intellectual property? The clock is ticking—and the playing field is shifting.

AI on trial: copyright, paywalls, and publisher power
By Adriana Santoni Vicens, Associate – DGA, August 20, 2025

“…While at first glance the Bartz decision provides AI companies with a significant victory that validates their practices, it also provides publishers and media companies with an opportunity to reframe their arguments to protect their copyrighted material. The media and publishing industry will have to contend with the outcome of the upcoming trial, as well as the fair use precedent set by Judge Chhabria in Kadrey, which other courts are likely to follow. However, the piracy argument introduced in the Bartz case could possibly deliver long sought after victories for the industry.”

Mid-Year Review: AI Copyright Case Developments in 2025

by Kevin Madigan, SVP, Policy & Government Affairs, Copyright Alliance
Reprinted with permission


The first half of 2025 saw major developments in some of the dozens of ongoing copyright lawsuits against AI companies, as well as the filing of a few new high-profile cases. Two cases in particular, Bartz v. Anthropic and Kadrey v. Meta, saw orders on summary judgment that sent shockwaves through the copyright community when courts in the Northern District of California found that certain types of generative AI training qualified as fair use. However, as we’ve written, the orders are complex, conflicting at times, and likely have a limited impact on other cases. This blog looks back on those orders and other key developments in AI and copyright cases over the past six months.

Background

There have been over 50 AI infringement lawsuits filed over the past few years, although the current number of active cases is somewhere closer to 30 due to many consolidations and a few settlements. About half of the ongoing cases are proposed class actions, and almost all of those are by groups of authors of literary works against large language model developers. There are also cases brought by visual artists, news publishers, YouTube video copyright owners, and computer programmers. The types of works involved in a majority of the cases are literary works, but there are also cases involving music compositions and song lyrics, sound recordings, computer code, photographs, videos, and databases. Most of the cases have either been brought in the Northern District of California or the Southern District of New York, although there are also cases in the District of Delaware and the District of Massachusetts. A list of all the different cases and their status can be found here.

The lawsuits are all in different stages, procedurally, and some of the earlier filed cases have had to amend their complaints and narrow down the claims—as some of the more tenuous claims related to AI output and derivative works have been rejected. Importantly, claims related to direct infringement at the ingestion stage have largely survived, and we’re now beginning to see some of the first decisions on fair use….

Looking Ahead

The second half of 2025 could see more major developments in the various ongoing AI infringement lawsuits, although the next decisions on fair use are not likely to come until 2026. The Bartz v. Anthropic case is set to go to trial in late 2025, and while a decision isn’t likely until 2026, all eyes will be on the trial and parallel interlocutory appeal. Attention will also be focused on developments in the Kadrey v. Meta case over whether the plaintiffs can show that Meta distributed millions of copies of pirated works, potentially exposing it to billions in damages. It will also be interesting to see what happens in the MDL and whether the Southern District of New York splits from the approach to generative AI training taken by the Northern District of California. Stay tuned for what’s sure to be an action-packed end to 2025.


To read the full Copyright Alliance article, go HERE.

Forthcoming Industry Events:

Leslie@dmla https://dmla.org
Next

Robyn Curnow to Headline DMLA’s 30th Annual Conference