© Michael Weschler
Our Mission
Engaging with U.S. policymakers remains essential for protecting both the integrity of ASCRL members’ assets and our members’ ability to reap maximum royalties from their works. In recent years, ASCRL has solidified its position as a prominent player in Washington, DC, wielding influence comparable to the largest corporations and trade associations.
Without ASCRL’s representation in policy-making discussions, there is a significant risk that decisions would be made by policymakers and competitors in ways that do not serve ASCRL or it's members' interests. To achieve its full potential, ASCRL must ensure its voice is heard in Congress, before Federal agencies, and within key decision-making arenas. This practice engagement allows ASCRL to advocate directly for the interests and goals of its members, ensuring they are not left behind in critical deliberations.
Empowering visual creators.
Our Goals
ASCRL’s advocacy goals are centered on expanding the remuneration systems available to photographers, illustrators, and other visual artists in markets which they cannot effectively monetize on their own through direct licensing.
First, ASCRL has developed and operates an advanced distribution system through which visual artists are paid millions of dollars each year from international collective licensing systems – systems which provide proven models for US collective licensing initiatives.
Second, ASCRL is committed to promoting legislation to permit the establishment of collective licensing models that remunerate creators, reduce legal uncertainty, and enable responsible technological progress. ASCRL’s focus is on the collective licensing of visual material in three main areas: uses within confined educational systems, internal business uses that typically go unlicensed, and in generative artificial intelligence.
These goals are aimed at providing photographers, illustrators, and other visual artists with a sustainable and fair economy as a supplement to the primary copyright markets that they can effectively monetize on their own.
Our Advocacy
To advance its core policy goals, ASCRL engages directly with key policymakers in the Administration, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives. By building relationships and sharing the real-world impact of policy decisions on its members, ASCRL has helped shape the national dialogue around copyright protection and promotion of collective licensing. This sustained advocacy has contributed to several significant policy developments.
Our statement notes that the Framework recognizes the central role collective licensing can play in building a functional marketplace for artificial intelligence which mutually benefits creators and AI developers.
ASCRL applauds the bill’s commitment to protecting creators’ rights, notably the assertion that the use of creative works for generative AI should be based on authorization.
The AI Framework calls for the establishment of a limited, conditional safe harbor which would allow copyright owners to license their works for specific generative AI uses, without per se anti-trust liability.
The bill would require AI companies to disclose their use of copyrighted works to train generative AI to the Copyright Office, assisting creators and rightsholders in protecting their intellectual property rights.
The legislation would reduce barriers, modernize registration, and expand access to copyright protection for visual creators.
The bipartisan bill promotes transparency in AI training by providing copyright holders a means to access the training records of generative AI companies, and by establishing an administrative subpoena process requiring generative AI companies to disclose their training data.
AB 412 would require generative AI developers to document both the copyright owners and any copyrighted materials used to train the system or model before the platform is made publicly available.
The ART Act amends Title 17 of US Code to extend the resale royalty right to visual artists so that they, like writers, composers, and screenwriters, can be compensated via royalties from the resale of their works.
The bill addresses concerns raised by the misuse of digital replicas with AI technology which cause confusion about an individual’s endorsement or affiliation with a product, service, or other commercial activity.
The bill seeks to clarify that Section 230 safe harbor provisions would not apply to claims based on generative AI, giving individuals harmed by AI generated outputs (such as deepfakes) legal means to protect themselves.