There has never been a more pivotal time than now to stay on top of all the developments that are coming out of Washington that affect photographers and all visual creators. For 80 years, ASMP has been leading the charge to protect your rights, and in the age of AI, we take this job more seriously than ever. ASMP CEO Thomas Maddrey and ASMP COO Melanie Porter are engaged at every level in these critical concerns for creators.
But while we continue to monitor and stay involved in the conversations surrounding Generative AI, we also continue to advocate for a major overhaul of the copyright registration system. That work continues this week as Maddrey is in Washington, D.C. for a series of meetings on these issues and more. This post will be updated with more information about these meetings later in the week.
ASMP’s Push to Modernize
At the center of these meetings are discussions to gather support for the Visual Artists Copyright Reform Act (VACRA) which is based on a white paper that ASMP was the lead author on in 2024 and 2025.
At the heart of VACRA is the awareness that the existing copyright system fails high volume creators, and all small creators generally. These failures can no longer go without remedy; the stakes are just too high in a world where generative AI is presently upending copyright law.
This fight is important, and that is why ASMP is leading the way. Maddrey puts it succinctly: “Every photographer and small creator must register their work to get the full protection of the law. Because of this EVERY barrier to fast, efficient, and cost-effective registration needs to be eliminated. It’s not a “nice-to-have,” it’s a necessity.”
Major Areas of Reform
While VACRA will affect many areas of the copyright registration system, here are just a few key problems ASMP has identified that need to be fixed immediately:
- Number of Works that Can Be Registered in a Group: Right now, photographers can register up to 750 works on one Group Registration application. This number does not reflect the actual work that photographers do, or the number of images they capture. ASMP advocates for much higher allowance for images on one application.
- Different Fee Models: A long-time position of ASMP has been that there needs to be more than a “one-size-fits-all” model to copyright registration pricing. We advocate for different feel models including a “subscription” fee that would allow unlimited registrations for one yearly rate, thereby providing clarity to creators who want to utilize the registration system, but currently cannot.
- Third-Party Registries: ASMP also advocates for a new approach to the way registrations are made and processed. By creating the option of allowing photographers to work with third-parties who are approved by the Copyright Office to accept their registrations. This would have myriad benefits, not limited to better integration with photographer workflows, increased options for how registered works are described and contained, and utilizing competition to help lower fees across the board.
How You Can Help
In the coming weeks, ASMP will be reaching out to you to help us make the case to Congress that Copyright Modernization is a “must accomplish” in the immediate future. As Maddrey says, “[T]he stakes for creators are too high. For photographers simply trying to raise their families, keep the business doors open, and contribute to the creative economy, these reforms cannot come fast enough. ASMP will always be a leader in pushing for these reforms not only for its Members, but for all creators who deserve a better system.”