ImageRights is pleased to share that founder and CEO Joe Naylor has been reelected as President of the Digital Media Licensing Association (DMLA) for the 2026-2028 term. This is Joe's second consecutive term leading the organization, and it continues a multi-year commitment by ImageRights to industry leadership on behalf of the photographers, illustrators, agencies, and licensors who form the foundation of the digital media ecosystem.

During his first term, Joe led the initiative to create DMLA's two flagship working groups: the Copyright & AI Working Group, which he currently chairs, and the SEO & AI Search Working Group. Together, these working groups have made DMLA a substantive voice in federal policy on AI and copyright, and a leader on the technical standards that determine how visual works are credited, found, and licensed online.

Joe joins a returning and incoming slate of officers including Vice President Thomas Smith of Gado Images, Secretary Mark Milstein of Microstock Solutions, Treasurer Jonathan Wells of SIPA USA, and Immediate Past President Leslie Hughes of iSPY Technologies. The 2026-2028 Officers-at-Large are Steve Jones of pocstock, Chris Daniels of izmocars, Candice Murray of Alamy, and Alexandru Giboi of EANA.

"Serving the DMLA membership has been one of the most rewarding commitments of my career," said Naylor. "The work ahead is consequential. How the federal government, the courts, and the global marketplace treat creators in the AI era will define the visual content industry for the next generation, and DMLA intends to be a credible, well-prepared voice in every one of those conversations. I am grateful to the membership for their continued trust, and I look forward to two more years of work alongside an exceptional Board."

About DMLA

Founded in 1951, the Digital Media Licensing Association is the leading non-profit, non-partisan trade association for content creators, digital media producers, distributors, and licensors. Its membership spans thousands of professionals across the visual content ecosystem, from individual photographers and illustrators to major stock agencies, technology innovators, and AI developers.

For more than seven decades, DMLA has established business standards, developed best practices, and advocated for copyright protection, fair licensing, privacy rights, and now ethical AI development. Today its work includes federal policy advocacy through the Copyright & AI Working Group, industry standards leadership through the SEO & AI Search Working Group, the annual International Digital Media Licensing Conference (IDMLC), educational webinars, and ongoing committee work on ethics, finance, marketing, and elections.

Why ImageRights is a Member

ImageRights' clients are precisely the creators and rights holders DMLA ultimately represents. As a copyright enforcement, registration, and monitoring company serving professional photographers, illustrators, painters, digital artists, and photo agencies worldwide, our business depends on the same legal and policy framework DMLA works to protect. Being part of DMLA means we are not just advocates from the sidelines. We are participating directly in the industry conversations and policy responses that shape what protection means for visual creators in a rapidly changing landscape.

That commitment runs in both directions. Joe's leadership at DMLA gives the organization the perspective of a company that sees, every day, what copyright infringement looks like at scale and what enforcement actually requires. And DMLA's collective voice gives ImageRights and our clients a seat at the table when federal agencies, lawmakers, and international bodies make decisions that affect creator livelihoods.

Value to ImageRights Clients

The work Joe and the DMLA Board lead translates directly into practical benefits for the creators we serve:

• Federal policy advocacy on AI and copyright. DMLA's formal responses to the U.S. Copyright Office, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and other federal agencies, often coordinated with the Copyright Alliance, defend the opt-in framework, oppose new AI carve-outs, and push for transparency requirements on training data. These positions directly protect the value of our clients' work in the generative AI era.
• A unified industry voice. Decisions on copyright registration fees, group registration eligibility, fair use standards, and international trade rules all turn on whether policymakers hear from a credible, organized industry. DMLA provides that voice, and ImageRights' enforcement experience helps inform it.
• Standards and best practices. DMLA's work on metadata, attribution, content authenticity, and SEO and AI search standards helps maintain the integrity of how visual works are credited and surfaced online. That benefits every creator whose livelihood depends on being findable, licensable, and properly attributed.
• Industry connections. DMLA convenes the agencies, distributors, and platforms that license our clients' work. Those relationships create opportunities, support enforcement pathways, and keep ImageRights closely connected to where the market is moving.

Looking Ahead

Joe's second term begins at a pivotal moment for the industry. The federal AI Action Plan continues to evolve, courts are actively shaping the contours of fair use in the AI training context, and international developments on opt-out regimes and licensing standards demand sustained attention. DMLA's agenda for the 2026-2028 term will continue to prioritize copyright protection, transparency, ethical AI development, and the licensing market that sustains both creative work and responsible innovation.

ImageRights congratulates Joe and the entire 2026-2028 DMLA Board, and we thank Leslie Hughes for her continued service as Immediate Past President and Executive Director. We look forward to the work ahead on behalf of creators everywhere.