Jimmy Kimmel and George Santos

A New York federal judge has dismissed former Congressman George Santos' copyright lawsuit against Jimmy Kimmel, ruling that Kimmel's use of Santos' Cameo videos constituted fair use. The court found that the videos were used for political commentary and criticism in Kimmel's segment 'Will Santos Say It?', and that Santos failed to demonstrate any market harm from their airing. This ruling comes just hours before Santos is expected to plead guilty to multiple criminal charges related to fraud. Santos had accused Kimmel of deceptive practices in procuring the videos, claiming copyright infringement and other violations. However, U.S. District Judge Denise Cote determined that the videos' transformative nature justified their use under fair use doctrine. The case reflects Santos' controversial status following his expulsion from Congress due to ethics violations and ongoing criminal scrutiny.