For years, major studios looked the other way, recognizing that GIFs were free marketing. But as the creator economy grows, tensions are rising. When a GIF goes viral, who gets paid? The celebrity? The photographer? The studio? Or the person who clipped it?

Mentioning "GIF" in email subject lines has been shown to increase unique open rates by up to 26% .

In modern digital culture, the GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)