WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: Creators Praise Sens. Schiff and Curtis’ Bipartisan CLEAR Act to Implement Transparency Safeguards in AI Model Development

More than 25 groups representing creators and artists support the bipartisan bill to protect intellectual property in AI development

Washington, D.C. - In case you missed it, this week, U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and John Curtis (R-Utah) introduced the Copyright Labeling and Ethical AI Reporting (CLEAR) Act, bipartisan legislation to protect the intellectual property rights of creators and encourage transparency in the development of artificial intelligence (AI). The bill would require companies to disclose their use of copyrighted work to train generative AI models, implementing guidelines to protect creators' intellectual property and protections to promote transparency.

In response, more than 25 groups representing creators and artists have endorsed the legislation as an important step toward ensuring transparency in the development of AI models and making sure creators are fairly compensated for their work.

HERE'S WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:

"RIAA applauds Senators Schiff and Curtis for their bipartisan leadership on this commonsense legislation. Creators deserve to know when and how their works are used by AI companies, and passing the CLEAR Act is an important step toward a transparent, fair, and functional AI marketplace," said Ken Doroshow, Chief Legal Officer, Recording Industry Association of America.

"By requiring disclosure of copyrighted materials that are used to train AI systems, the Copyright Labeling and Ethical AI Reporting (CLEAR) Act will advance the development of reliable and trustworthy AI, which is a key part of supporting the US creative community and the economy," said Tracey Armstrong, CEO, Copyright Clearance Center.

"Transparency is the foundation for responsible and safe generative AI tools. We have a vested interest in knowing whose works are being used to train AI so we can address our members' ongoing concerns about consent and compensation, as well as the protection of their creative rights. We thank Senators Schiff and Curtis for introducing the CLEAR Act, which advances transparency and supports the development of an accountable AI marketplace in a way that benefits our members and the broader creative community," said Russell Hollander, National Executive Director, Directors Guild of America.

"Voice actors are the storytellers behind the characters, the commercials, and the digital worlds millions of people experience every day, and our performances are deeply tied to our identity and our livelihoods. The National Association of Voice Actors supports the bipartisan Copyright Labeling and Ethical AI Reporting (CLEAR) Act because creators deserve visibility into when their copyrighted work is being used to train generative AI systems. Transparency and accountability are the foundation of ethical AI development, and meaningful disclosure requirements help ensure that innovation moves forward responsibly while respecting the human performers at the center of this technology. We thank Senators Schiff and Curtis for this thoughtful, bipartisan step toward consent, control, and trust in the AI era," said Tim Friedlander, President, National Association of Voice Actors.

"Artificial intelligence draws its power from human creativity, and that creativity deserves respect and transparency. The CLEAR Act establishes a necessary baseline by shining a light on the copyrighted works that fuel generative A.I. By requiring disclosure and accountability, this legislation helps ensure that innovation moves forward alongside the creators who make it possible," said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator.

"Thousands of writers have had their work stolen to train generative AI systems. This bill is an important step in addressing the unprecedented theft of copyrighted materials, increasing transparency and providing necessary guardrails around AI," said Michele Mulroney, WGAW President.

"Creating transparency standards for training generative AI models marks a critical step towards ensuring that AI innovation can benefit and protect the rights of songwriters and composers. At a minimum, AI laws must protect human creativity and support accountable consent. We thank Senators Schiff and Curtis for their leadership on these matters," said Elizabeth Matthews, CEO, the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP).

"The American Society for Collective Rights Licensing (ASCRL), the largest not-for-profit photography and illustrator association in the United States, enthusiastically supports the Copyright Labeling and Ethical AI Reporting (CLEAR) Act. This bill will help visual material authors identify possible uses and exploitation of their works for the purposes of generative AI machine learning which is an important step forward in the identification of the rights that copyright owners seek to protect when their works are used for artificial intelligence," said James Silverberg, CEO, American Society for Collective Rights Licensing.

"The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) commends Senators Adam Schiff and John Curtis for introducing the Copyright Labeling and Ethical AI Reporting Act (CLEAR) Act. Entertainment workers must be fairly compensated when their work is used to train, develop or generate new works by AI systems. The exploitation of copyrighted works without consent threatens IATSE members' hard-won health care benefits, retirement security, and future job opportunities. This legislation will ensure there is appropriate transparency of generative AI training sets, thereby enabling IATSE workers to enforce their rights," said Matthew D. Loeb, International President, IATSE.

"The SCL thanks Senators Schiff (D-CA) and Curtis (R-UT) for their introduction of the Copyright Labeling and Ethical AI Reporting (CLEAR) Act. This legislation is the result of months of discussions with creators, labor unions, technology companies, federal agencies, and legal experts and would introduce essential transparency measures, requiring companies to disclose when they use copyrighted works to train publicly available generative AI systems. Such openness ensures creators are informed and can protect their rights. This bill serves not only to protect creators' rights today but also to lay the groundwork for how we approach the ethical development and deployment of AI technologies in the future," said Ashley Irwin, President, Society of Composers & Lyricists.

"Senator Schiff's CLEAR Act is a massive step towards providing music creators with the transparency that's essential to building a collaborative and legal AI environment. Ensuring songwriters know when their work is being utilized to train and giving them the necessary recourse when companies fail to provide notice, are essential to the integrity of music-generating AI platforms. We greatly appreciate Senator Schiff's focus on protecting the creators on which the entire music industry is built," said NMPA President & CEO David Israelite

"The Songwriters Guild of America, on behalf of its 5,000 music creator members and heirs, is pleased to extend its support in principle to the CLEAR Act. As the Nation's longest established songwriter advocacy organization run solely by and for creators since 1931, we thank Senator Schiff and his staff for their hard work in crafting this bill, which we hope serves as an important initial step toward ensuring full fairness and transparency for music creators in the challenging age of generative artificial intelligence. We look forward to working with members of Congress to pass the best version of this legislation into law," said Rick Carnes, President, Songwriters Guild of America

"Songwriters of North America (SONA) applauds Senators Schiff and Curtis for introducing the Copyright Labeling and Ethical AI Reporting (CLEAR) Act, which would require generative AI companies to disclose which copyrighted works they use to train their models. Songwriters' works are often ingested into opaque training datasets without notice, consent, or compensation. This bill is a necessary first step toward establishing basic transparency that would ensure creators' continued rights to authorize and license their works. The CLEAR Act moves us toward a future in which songwriters are partners in progress, not collateral damage," said Erin McAnally, Executive Director, Songwriters of North America.

"The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) commends Senators Schiff and Curtis for introducing the CLEAR Act to proactively approach the intersection of AI and copyright by putting transparency at the center. Real songs, recordings, and compositions created by real people power AI learning models. By requiring disclosure of copyrighted works used in training generative AI, the CLEAR Act paves the way for ethical innovation while respecting the rights of music creators," said Willie "Prophet" Stiggers, Co-Founder/CEO, Black Music Action Coalition.

"MAC believes AI policy must be built on three fundamental principles: Clarity about what's being used, Consent from creators, and fair Compensation for their work. The CLEAR Act delivers critical Clarity by establishing a public database so artists can finally see if their copyrighted work is training AI systems. This transparency is essential groundwork for the Consent and Compensation frameworks we'll continue fighting for. Artists shouldn't have to guess whether their life's work is fueling AI models; they have a right to know," said Ron Gubitz, Executive Director, Music Artist Coalition (MAC).

"A2IM supports the CLEAR Act because any serious AI policy has to start with transparency. Creators and copyright owners deserve meaningful visibility into when copyrighted works are used to build and train generative AI systems, so the market can move forward with trust, accountability, and respect for rights," said Ian Harrison, CEO, American Association of Independent Music (A2IM).

"Music creators need to know if AI companies are using their copyrighted works without permission. This legislation takes the critically important step of requiring those companies to disclose that very information. BMI thanks Senators Schiff and Curtis for recognizing the importance of transparency and introducing the CLEAR Act," said Mike O'Neill, CEO, BMI.

"The Artist Rights Alliance (ARA) applauds Senators Schiff and Curtis for introducing the CLEAR Act, which requires the disclosure of copyrighted works used to train AI models. As AI technology rapidly evolves, we must ensure that human creators are not abused. The CLEAR Act lays the foundation for an ethical AI marketplace by calling for transparency in AI training, without which artists cannot exercise their basic right to control how their work is used and be paid for it," said Jen Jacobsen, Executive Director, Artist Rights Alliance.

"SESAC Music Group applauds Senators Schiff and Curtis for leading on recordkeeping and transparency for AI. By creating a simple way for songwriters to learn if their work is used by AI, the revised and strengthened CLEAR Act incentivizes developers to get consent before using copyrighted works and ensures songwriters can enforce their rights against those who don't. AI should be responsible, transparent, and fully licensed, not a black hole for unauthorized use of copyrighted works," said John Josephson, Chairman and CEO, SESAC Music Group.

"The Television Academy commends Senators Schiff and Curtis for introducing the bipartisan Copyright Labeling and Ethical AI Reporting (CLEAR) Act by fostering transparency, accountability, and fairness in the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. The CLEAR Act reinforces the foundation of creative industries, safeguarding the work of media professionals while promoting responsible technological advancement. The Television Academy, representing nearly 30,000 members across all sectors of the television industry, urges Congress to support this legislation to protect the integrity of human creativity and preserve the trust between artists, audiences, and the industry as a whole," said Maury McIntyre, President & CEO, Television Academy.

"From world famous featured artists to legendary session players, the CLEAR Act empowers all working musicians. Every creative professional must be able to easily determine when our creativity is exploited for AI development. We are in desperate need of transparency in machine learning. True transparency only exists when information is available to all people. Thank you, Sens. Schiff and Curtis, for this commonsense sense step towards fixing a badly broken system," said Tino Gagliardi, President, American Federation of Musicians.

"As generative AI rapidly evolves, our IP laws must evolve with it. Transparency around the use of copyrighted works is essential to protecting creators and ensuring fair compensation. The CLEAR Act is a critical step toward strengthening accountability, innovation, and the U.S. IP system," said Frank Cullen, Executive Director of the Council for Innovation Promotion (C4IP).

"We applaud Sen. Schiff's and Sen. Curtis' CLEAR Act for recognizing what should be obvious: trustworthy AI cannot be built in the dark. At Bria, we train models entirely on licensed content, with transparency and attribution built in. The public deserves to know what fuels the systems shaping our culture, economy, and daily lives. The CLEAR Act shifts the burden to where it belongs - on developers - and marks a vital step toward restoring trust, fairness, and accountability in the age of AI," said Vered Horesh, Chief of Strategic AI Partnerships, Bria AI.

"The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) is proud to support the CLEAR Act and applauds Senators Schiff and Curtis for their leadership. Transparency is critical to ensuring that union creative professionals are fairly compensated for their work. When their work is taken without consent to train generative AI systems-and without transparency into the systems' training sets -creative workers risk losing pay, benefits, and long-term career opportunities. The CLEAR Act will establish meaningful transparency, enabling creative workers to protect and enforce their rights," said Jennifer Dorning, President, Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE).

"GMR applauds Senators Schiff and Curtis for introducing the CLEAR Act, which properly puts the onus of transparency in AI training on the AI companies, thereby upholding the value of human creators and promoting commercial efficiency in an era of the music industry where innovation threatens to outpace legal, ethical and practical considerations all at once," said Emio Zizza, General Counsel at Global Music Rights.

"Transparency is critical to building trust and accountability in science research and publishing, and the same goes for AI tools. As scientists and science publishers forge new discoveries, safeguard and advance the scientific record, and accelerate innovation, the utility of AI tools - like any research tool - depends on accuracy, replicability, and auditability. We applaud Senators Schiff and Curtis for introducing the Copyright Labeling and Ethical AI Reporting (CLEAR) Act. Transparency standards support the adoption of trustworthy and high quality AI tools for use in science research and publishing," said Dr. Caroline Sutton, CEO, International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM).

"The Authors Guild is excited to support the Copyright Labeling and Ethical AI Reporting (CLEAR) Act along with many other creator advocacy groups. The bill would create a robust framework for transparency of copyrighted works in generative AI systems so that authors can determine when their works have been used to train an AI model and demand a license. This bill has our strong support, and we look forward to pushing it forward so that the human creativity that powers AI must be recognized and fairly compensated," said Mary Rasenberger, CEO, Authors Guild.

"Respect for creators' rights and transparency are critical to the ethical advancement of AI. The Recording Academy thanks Senators Schiff and Curtis for promoting these key principles through the CLEAR Act," said The Recording Academy.

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