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Workshop
Seminar

IDAinsight: Yet Another Legal Update on Fair Use (2025)

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PT

  • Alex Cadena, Speaker
  • Jack Lerner, Speaker
Green and blue flyer for IDAinsight: Yet Another Legal Update on Fair Use (2025)

Location: Hybrid, virtual on Zoom or in-person at IDA Office in Los Angeles

In today’s rapidly evolving political and technological landscape, a legal doctrine as established as fair use, which remains as crucial to documentary filmmakers as the day it was introduced, is not safe from change. As a documentary filmmaker, producer, or professional, you are probably familiar with the basics of fair use. But in the age of AI and ever-savvy corporations and even governments that constantly try to shift the boundaries of libel, copyright infringement, and more, how do we make sense of what is and is not fair to use? And how do recent legal decisions and court cases like Whyte Monkee Productions et al. v. Netflix et al. change the way you should approach fair use? 

In this first part of two legal seminars, Jack Lerner, veteran fair use advocate, attorney, and director of the UCI Intellectual Property, Arts, and Technology Clinic at UC Irvine School of Law, and Alex Cadena, media and entertainment attorney at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, will guide us through both a foundation of fair use and recent updates with everything you need to know about the shifting landscape of copyright Law. You’ll leave with the tools to navigate these often-confusing legal territories and protect your work.

This seminar is perfect for both beginner and experienced filmmakers alike, providing practical, up-to-date knowledge about the legal issues that can make or break a project. Our expert speakers, specializing in media law and intellectual property, will give you an insider's look at what’s really happening in copyright and fair use law and how it impacts your filmmaking process. Whether you're just starting out or are a seasoned professional, this session will offer valuable insights to keep you up to date with the often neglected legal side of making a documentary.

The seminar will include an hour-long presentation by Alex and Jack, followed by a 30-minute Q&A. This is a hybrid session. Members can join at our LA Koreatown office or virtually through Zoom. Please note that the capacity to attend in person is limited to 50 people and is on a first-come, first-served basis. This session will not be recorded. 

If you need ASL interpretation and CART captioning to participate fully in this seminar, please email your access requests to membership@documentary.org by Monday, April 28.

Event Participants

    Headshot of young woman of Latinx descent in a green blazer in front of a blue background

    Alex Cadena

    Alex Cadena works in the Los Angeles office of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP (DWT) on copyright, trademark, and other entertainment matters. She has several years' experience in media and creative industries on both coasts. Before joining DWT, she interned with the legal team at the Writers Guild of America West, worked with 20th Television's business affairs group, and launched an independent production company in New York. She is passionate about championing early-career artists and their work. 

    Alex counsels and litigates a wide range of legal issues for DWT's media and entertainment clients, including copyright and trademark law, First Amendment, defamation, right of publicity, and advertising. Alex's legal experience also extends to litigating on behalf of journalists in both state and federal public records lawsuits. Alex is committed to pro bono and has previously worked as a legal translator and interpreter with the Tahirih Justice Center, Human Rights First, and Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). 

    Black and white headshot of a middle aged male with a short beard and glasses wearing a suit and looking off to the right

    Jack Lerner

    Jack Lerner is Clinical Professor of Law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law and Director of the UCI Intellectual Property, Arts, and Technology Clinic, where he and his students counsel and represent filmmakers and other creators. Professor Lerner served on the board of IDA from 2010-2020 and has long represented IDA as pro bono advocacy counsel. He is a member of Kartemquin Films' Board of Directors.