July Newsbreak
In this issue:
AI Fair Use Rulings
New DMLA Members
New DMLA Board Members
Copyright Corner
Association “Goings-On”
AI Fair Use Rulings Spark Confusion—But Not Finality
Recent court decisions in Bartz v. Anthropic and Kadrey v. Meta may have been touted as victories for AI companies, but the reality is far more nuanced. While both judges found the training of large language models on copyrighted books to be "transformative" and potentially fair use, they also exposed serious legal vulnerabilities. Judge Alsup’s stance on digitizing books contradicts existing precedent, and Judge Chhabria explicitly criticized the plaintiffs' weak arguments—emphasizing that future infringement claims could succeed with stronger evidence. Read more about why these rulings are far from the final word on AI and copyright.
Read the full article HERE!
Member News
New Members to the DMLA community!
Daniel DeSouza
Managing Partner
CopyCat Legal
CopyCat Legal is on a mission to protect creators and their intellectual property. Their team of expert copyright attorneys goes after infringers and fights to recover the value of stolen work — all at no upfront cost to the creator.
From registering your IP to pursuing unauthorized use, CopyCat Legal ensures your work is not only protected but also properly valued in today’s digital world.
Go HERE for more information.
Darío José Rojo de la Cruz
CEO
Wesog is an innovative AI lab focused on developing advanced tools for optimizing image search and classification. Their technology enhances how visual content is organized, found, and licensed — a perfect complement to the needs of today’s media licensing professionals.
Go HERE for more information.
Board of Directors
Our Newest Board Members!
Anna Dickson
MEMBER AT LARGE
VP of Content Strategy & Operations at Shutterstock
We’re thrilled to welcome Anna Dickson, VP of Content Strategy & Operations at Shutterstock, to the DMLA Board of Directors. With a career spanning editorial, product, and AI-driven transformation at companies like Google and Shutterstock, Anna brings a unique perspective at the intersection of content, technology, and scalable operations. Her deep expertise in building systems, automating workflows, and redefining content strategy in the age of AI will be an invaluable asset to the DMLA community.
Sarah Lefebvre
MARKETING COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON
Marketing at MediaViz AI
A digital marketing leader with deep expertise in social media, content creation, SEO, email marketing, and product marketing, Sarah brings both strategic insight and creative energy to the board. She’s passionate about blending creativity with data—using performance-driven experimentation to drive results and elevate brand storytelling in the digital age. Her fresh perspective and marketing acumen will be a dynamic addition to the DMLA community.
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. If you're interested in serving or would like to recommend someone, please reach out to us at Leslie@dmla.org.
Copyright Corner
Too Big to Prosecute?
Our friends at the Copyright Alliance, notified us that Senator Josh Hawley and a powerful lineup of witnesses testified during the July 16 Senate Judiciary Crime Subcommittee hearing on AI and copyright. They brought light to many crucial issues. A quote from Josh Hawley in regards to scraping content, “This is just wrong. It’s not what America is about… I think this is a moral issue, as much as anything else.”
At DMLA, we strongly support ethical AI and the message that came from the hearing: that scraping copyrighted works from the internet without permission is not acceptable. This hearing brought long-overdue attention to the critical need for clear protections for creators in the age of AI.
Special thanks to the witnesses for their compelling testimony:
Bhamati Viswanathan
David Baldacci
Edward Lee
Maxwell V. Pritt
Michael D. Smith
Let’s continue to push for #StrongIPStrongAI and ensure that innovation respects rights.
➛Watch the full hearing HERE.
Hearing highlights shared by DMLA member Mark Milstein (3 minutes):
DMLA Supports AB 412 – A Step Toward AI Transparency
The Digital Media Licensing Association (DMLA) proudly supports AB 412, a groundbreaking California bill that increases transparency around the use of copyrighted materials in generative AI training. The bill requires AI developers to disclose if a copyright holder’s work was used to train a model—empowering creators to protect and license their content fairly.
With decades of experience in image recognition and copyright advocacy, DMLA affirms the technical feasibility of identifying copyrighted content via fingerprinting. AB 412 is a much-needed measure to uphold creator rights in the AI age.
Support artists. Support accountability. Support AB 412.
Read the full article HERE.
The Stock Photo Industry and Generative AI
A new paper examines the evolving landscape of the image licensing industry in the age of generative AI. It traces the industry's history, assesses the current market—with an emphasis on metadata—and explores how AI is reshaping value and legal frameworks. The analysis draws on insights from the 2024 Kernochan Center Symposium on Law, Media, and the Arts.
To download the paper go HERE.
Association News
DMLA’S 30th Annual Conference
There are just 94 days until DMLA’s 30th Annual Conference! Don’t wait to register and to book your hotel. Please watch for more conference specific information next week. An exciting keynote speaker will be announced!
Calling all (potential) sponsors! We have an amazing array of packages available plus we will customize packages. Sponsors make the IDMLC possible. Please download the Sponsorship Pack HERE.
2025 IDMLC – Get your tickets now!
It’s time to register for the International Digital Media Licensing Conference (IDMLC) 2025—the premier gathering of industry leaders, innovators, and creatives shaping the future of digital media.
Mark your calendars:
October 19: Board Member arrival
October 20: General Arrival, Board Meeting, 30th Celebration & Welcome Reception
October 21-22: Two full days of education, inspiration, and high-impact networking
Registration:
Don’t wait—take advantage of our Early Bird Pricing!
For more information on the IDMLC, please go HERE.
Book Now at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Don’t forget to book your stay at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis—the official conference hotel and home. Rooms are limited!
We have secured special rates! Booking through our DMLA link helps DMLA keep costs down and gives you a front-row seat to the action. Don’t miss meeting up with attendees in the hotel bar, or having breakfast together!
To book your hotel room GO HERE!
Click HERE to explore our Atlanta Guide, featuring restaurant recommendations and nearby attractions!
DMLA.ORG
Over the last year, we have been working hard on the DMLA website including purchasing the dmla.org url at auction. Since the auction, the dmla.org url has been pointing to the long form name and we created aliases for organization emails so that @dmla.org would correctly forward. We have now made the final switch to the website (although the long form will point to the shorter url.) In the coming weeks we will be finalizing the email changes.
If you have not been there recently, check out the site. New and key sections include: