September Newsbreak

NewsLegalconferenceCopyright
Written By Leslie@dmla

In this issue:

  • IDMLC Information

  • Membership | Conference Promotion

  • IPTC Photo Metadata Conference (register for on-demand access)

  • Copyright Corner

  • Coming Events

Countdown: 30 Days until the
#IDMLC!

We are just 30 days away from DMLA’s 30th annual conference kick-off - the International Digital Media Licensing Conference (#IDMLC)! Don’t miss this extraordinary event. So far, we have:

  • attendees from 10 countries

  • currently ~ 90% of registered attendees,=director level or above

Time is running out to purchase your tickets and book your hotel.

Tickets HERE:

  • Member, individual all-access pass - US$1120

  • Non-member, individual all-access pass - US$1595

Book Hotel HERE ***Room block cut-off 9.27.25**
Room Rate, $259 - for free internet sign up for Marriott Bonvoy HERE.

SESSION HIGHLIGHT:

Keeping Image Workflows Safe in the Age of AI

AI is transforming how the visual media industry operates—from tagging and licensing to distribution. But with innovation comes risk. Join experts from Palo Alto Networks, VistaPrint, MediaViz AI, and Orange Logic as they share strategies for protecting systems, assets, and IP in an increasingly complex digital environment.

Agenda

To read more on our sessions and agenda, go HERE!

DMLA Members on the Conference Committee are finalizing panels, moderators and panelists. Watch for more information, Here is a list of what’s to come:

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

  • In the Trenches with Today’s Working Photographers - Jonathan Wells, SIPA USA, moderator

  • How to Keep Images Safe in the Age of AI - Sarah Lefebrve, Media Viz AI, moderator

  • U.S. Copyright Office (USCO)

  • Preserving History through Content, Collaboration, and Community - Tom Smith, Gado Images, moderator

  • Looking Forward - 2026 Trends & Expectations, James Allsworth, moderator

  • Generative AI: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - Stacey Tyrell, Allsides

  • The Future of Advertising in the Age of AI - Leslie Hughes, iSPYVisuals/DMLA, moderator

  • SEO, AI and the Future of Search - Joe Naylor, ImageRights, moderator

  • Legal Hot Topics - Margaret VIncent, Stocksy, moderator

 

The IDMLC Dine-Around Experience is Back!

We’re excited to bring back the beloved Dine-Around Experience at the IDMLC 2025! On Monday night, October 20, join fellow attendees for a relaxed evening of great food and even better conversation. Groups of 10–15 will be organized for this user-pay event, making it the perfect way to connect in an informal, welcoming setting.

Sign up HERE to reserve your spot — once we have the total count, we’ll organize the groups and share payment details. Don’t miss this chance to network, swap insights, and enjoy a night out with the IDMLC community!

Join These Leading Sponsors at the #IDMLC!

There’s still time to showcase your brand at the 30th Annual International Digital Media Licensing Conference. We have a variety of exciting sponsorship opportunities still available for all budgets, to help you connect with industry leaders, innovators, and decision-makers.

Contact conference@dmla.org today to explore the best fit for your company.

Meet Your 2025 IDMLC Community!

If you’ve already registered for our 30th annual conference, you should have received an email with the password-protected attendee list. If you didn’t receive it, please reach out to marketing@dmla.org so we can get you access.

This year’s event already has attendees from 44 companies, 10 countries, with 90% hodling the title of the Director level or higher! This is a not-to-be missed event.

Opening & Closing Receptions 🎉

In celebratio for over sevin decades as the voice of the media production, distribution and licensing industry, we’re excited to be hosting an Opening Reception on October 20th, and a closing industry celebration on October 22nd!

These gatherings are all about bringing our community together—enjoy an evening of networking, drinks, and heavy hors d’oeuvres while connecting with colleagues, old friends, and new faces. The perfect way to kick off (and wrap up!) this special event.

Thanks to our sponsors! It is because of their support that we are able to host these events. And special thanks to ImageRights - our primary sponsor of the closing event.

Stay tuned for details as the event nears.

IPTC Photo Metadata Conference 2025

The 2025 IPTC Photo Metadata Conference was held on September 18 and focused on Photo Metadata in AI and workflows. You may still register to get on-demand access.

Topics included:

  • Update on the latest in photo metadata from the IPTC, including work on metadata for AI plus the latest from the Media Provenance Committee, bringing C2PA to the news and media industries

  • Invited speakers showing how photo metadata is used to help real-world photographers and media managers handle huge amounts of imagery in real-world workflows

  • See the impact of AI on photography, both in terms of creating images and by using AI to improve photo management workflows

Interested in DMLA Membership?

The Digital Media Licensing Association, is a non-profit trade association that is run by members, for members. If you want to join this vibrant community, DMLA is offering a great promotion for companies considering attending this year’s IDMLC. DMLA is currently offering a great discount on membership to the end of this year, combined with a discount on a member-priced ticket — realizing 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

Court of Appeals Reinstates Shira Perlmutter in her role as the Register of Copyrights for the United States

Recently, a divided three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals granted Shira Perlmutter’s request for an injunction pending appeal. The order temporarily restores her as the Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office while the case proceeds.

We are reprinting with permission, the following from our friend Kevin Madigan, at the Copyright Alliance published on September 10, 2025 :

“This morning a three-judge panel in the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit voted 2-1 to grant Shira's injunction pending appeal, which enjoins the defendants (Blanche, Perkins, etc) from "interfering with appellant’s service as Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office pending further order of the court." It seems that for now Shira has been reinstated to her role. Here is an excerpt from the order:

[T]he district court abused its discretion by failing to consider “unusual actions relating to the discharge itself” and a “genuinely extraordinary situation” — factors that inform the irreparable-harm analysis and distinguish this case from other removal cases. Sampson v. Murray, 415 U.S. 61, 92 n.68 (1974).

The “unusual” and “extraordinary” features of this case include the following: (1) Perlmutter alleges an unprecedented violation of the separation of powers — she contends that the President removed the Register, an official in the Legislative Branch, based on his disagreement with advice that the Register provided to Congress in support of its constitutional power to formulate laws and policies concerning copyrights; (2) the President’s removal of Perlmutter was likely unlawful; and (3) Perlmutter likely does not exercise substantial executive power, making this case markedly different from most precedents addressing the removal of government officials. Under the circumstances, the district court should have weighed all the preliminary-injunction factors. Those factors all favor granting Perlmutter’s requested preliminary injunction.”

To read the order from the Court of Appeals, please go HERE.

Erik Bertin Appointed Acting Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Registration Policy and Practice

The United States Copyright Office today announced that Erik Bertin will serve as Acting Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Registration Policy and Practice, effective August 31, 2025. Bertin assumes this role upon the departure of Associate Register and Director of Registration Policy and Practice Robert Kasunic.

Read the full article HERE

U.S. Copyright Office Invites Public to Webinar on Conducting Public Records Searches Using the Copyright Public Records System

The U.S. Copyright Office invites you to register for the upcoming webinar, Conducting Public Records Searches Using the Copyright Public Records System, on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. eastern time.

This latest webinar is the third in a series focused on helping users understand how to search the Copyright Public Records System (CPRS). Prior webinars in this series provide walkthroughs of CPRS’s simple and advanced search capabilities and can be viewed on our website:

Read the full article HERE

Anthropic Agrees to Pay Authors at Least $1.5 Billion in AI Copyright Settlement

Anthropic will pay at least $3,000 for each copyrighted work that it pirated. The company downloaded unauthorized copies of books in early efforts to gather training data for its AI tools.

Read the full article HERE.

For WIRED’s take on copyright news go HERE

Forthcoming Industry Events:

Leslie@dmla https://dmla.org
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