Photo credit: Immo Wegmann
AIMP praises the growing legislative effort at the federal and state levels to protect copyright holders from unauthorized use of AI.
The Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) is raising awareness around two new legislative efforts designed to allow AI companies to be held responsible for the misuse of copyrighted works in training artificial intelligence (AI) models.
At the federal level, Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have introduced the AI Accountability and Personal Data Protection Act, a bipartisan law that prohibits AI companies from using copyrighted works without permission.
The bill would create federal rights for individuals suing businesses that use personal data or creative output without positive consent and impose explicit penalties for violations. Among other provisions, the Act requires transparency regarding third-party data access, reinforcing the requisites of artists and rights holders whose work is misappropriated by AI developers.
Meanwhile, in California, Congressional Bill 412, the AI Copyright Transparency Act, gives copyright holders the right to request a detailed list of materials used to train generated AI models. Developers must respond within 7 days. Everyday of non-compliance constitutes an individual violation. The bill represents the initial transparency mechanism to allow creators to track how their works are being used in AI training datasets.
“AIMP supports both of these important legislation, and the growing awareness of lawmakers means that creators’ rights must be protected in a rapidly evolving AI landscape,” said Frank Handy of AI National Chair. “We have long been seeking transparency, accountability and fairness in rights management. These proposals are an essential first step in building the infrastructure to support it.”
Independent publishers face unique challenges in navigating attribution, licensing and revenue tracking as AI continues to transform the music and media industry.
Founded in 1977, the Independent Music Publishers Association is the only national non-profit organization focusing solely on the needs of independent music publishers. AIMP provides real-time education, networking and advocacy to businesses that manage song rights, negotiate licenses, and ensure songwriters get paid.
