Adobe's legal chief calls for creator protection as policymakers and tech companies reframe copyright in the era of AI

Copyright needs to be balanced with creator and consumer protection, Adobe legal chief tells us

by · TechRadar

Features By Craig Hale published 3 May 2026

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Freedomz)

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Speaking with TechRadar Pro in an exclusive interview at Adobe Summit 2026, the company's Chief Legal Officer, Louise Pentland, urged policymakers to resist radical changes, and for courts and companies instead to focus on a more pragmatic approach.

At the same time, Pentland also advocated for tech companies to get involved – not to redefine copyright law, but to maintain authenticity and protect creators in this era of AI assistance.

"We don't want it to stifle innovation," she said, "but at the same time, we can't leave it completely unchecked."

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Copyright rules must evolve – but we don't need to rewrite them from the ground up

Our discussion with Pentland comes at a critical moment in AI copyright law. We're shifting from refusal of copyright protection for AI-generated assets, to the consideration of protection for content that combines AI with just the right amount of human interjection. But what's considered 'enough' is still up for debate.

In 2025, the US Copyright Office granted protection to an image that was created with AI assistance, making this the first time anyone has ever been granted copyright protection for AI-generated work.

Pentland was particularly proud of this case, with Kent Keirsey, the artist of 'A Single Piece of American Cheese', now working at Adobe – we suspect this worker is now contributing to copyright conversations within the company, too.

However, the decision was ultimately made by a single human, or group of humans, and it may not have been reflected equally across the world due to the case-by-case nature of copyright protection.

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