Digital Media Licensing Association to Help Real Estate Photographers Protect Their Rights

CHANDLER, Ariz., September 13, 2017 (Newswire.com) - The Digital Media Licensing Association (DMLA) is launching a registration drive encouraging the growing field of real estate photographers to join the organization. The DMLA says thousands of real estate photographers practicing nationwide and their clients will benefit by taking advantage of the resources, education and guidance gained by years of experience DMLA members have in the visual licensing industry and how to protect visual works.   

.   Real estate photographers and companies can visit www.digitalmedialicensing.org to join the organization.

Real estate photographers will benefit from the valuable resources that DMLA has to offer. The chance for the thousands of individual photographers and small companies to come together under one organization to protect our rights and those of our clients is very exciting. We appreciate the DMLA stepping up to help with this very important issue for so many parties. We look forward to working with all of our counterparts in the industry in this effort.

Brian Balduf, CEO of VHT

DMLA is making a direct membership appeal to real estate photography professionals in light of recent court cases related to copyright infringements of professional real estate listing photographs and the extensive unauthorized uses of real estate images.  As illustrated by recent court cases, such as VHT Studios v. Zillow, photographers and other content creators are not being properly compensated for these excessive uses. Zillow was found guilty of willful copyright infringement by a jury and ordered to pay over four million dollars to VHT Studios in statutory damages.

Real estate is a vital driver of the U.S. economy, with over 1.2 million professional agents being served by over 10,000 professional photographers working to market the average seller’s most valuable asset. The nation’s largest network of real estate photographers, VHT Studios, is encouraging professional photographers to take advantage of the benefits of DMLA membership. CEO and Co-Founder Brian Balduf says, “Real estate photographers will benefit from the valuable resources that DMLA has to offer.  The chance for the thousands of individual photographers and small companies to come together under one organization to protect our rights and those of our clients is very exciting. We appreciate the DMLA stepping up to help with this very important issue for so many parties. We look forward to working with all of our counterparts in the industry in this effort,” Balduf added.

As a DMLA member, real estate photographers can work within the DMLA structure to help establish and communicate licensing guidelines that benefit all interested parties as well as provide some common language around standard uses and restrictions. DMLA has been advocating on behalf of photographers and digital media licensors to protect copyright for more than 60 years.

Membership provides photographers a much stronger voice, as an industry, to direct and enforce the usage of the Intellectual property they create. Even the real estate agents who photograph their own listings will benefit from DMLA’s services. RE Photographers can join DMLA as Associate Members for $350 per year while larger RE companies will join as General Members at an annual fee based on the size of the company.

DMLA is also reaching out to major real estate organizations to work in conjunction with them to ensure the clients of real estate photographers have their needs addressed. 

About DMLA:

The Digital Media Licensing Association, Inc. (“DMLA”) (formerly known as the Picture Archive Council of America, Inc.) is a not for- profit trade association that represents the interests of entities who license digital media. Founded in 1951, DMLA’s membership currently includes over 100 image libraries worldwide that are engaged in licensing millions of images, illustrations, video clips, and other content on behalf of thousands of individual creators. Members include large general libraries, such as Getty Images (US), Inc., Adobe, and Shutterstock, Inc., and smaller specialty libraries, all of which support and provide livelihoods to individual visual media artists. DMLA members also provide a valuable service to the media and commercial users by granting ready access to historical and contemporary collections of visual content that illustrates and illuminates all aspects of our society and culture. Over the years, DMLA has developed licensing standards, promoted ethical business practices, and actively advocated for copyright protection on behalf of its members. In addition, DMLA educates and informs its members on issues including technology, tools, and changes in the marketplace.

Media Contact:

Cathy Aron

714-815-8427

cathy@digitalmedialicensing.org

Source: Cathy Aron, Executive Director of DMLA, Digital Media Licensing Association