The Revolutionary COPIED Act Aims to Make Removing Digital Watermarks Illegal

An AI-focused Immigration Law

A group of bipartisan senators recently introduced an innovative bill with a primary focus on artificial intelligence (AI). The brainchild of the bill, The Content Origin Protection and Integrity from Edited and Deepfaked Media Act (COPIED Act), holds key objectives around identifying and confirming AI-constructed content. A major concern addressed by the Act is the unauthorized usage of work by artists and journalists by AI models.

Protection Measures and Their Implementation

The provisions of the COPIED Act will direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to conceive guidelines and standards to verify the origin of content and detect artificially synthesized content, like watermarked imagery. The bill also mandates the agency to impose measures preventing security infractions and necessitates AI instruments for creative or journalistic content to affix information about their origin. It further prohibits the information from being erased, and blocks such content from being utilized to train AI models.

Under this proposed legislation, holders of content, such as artists, broadcasters, and newspapers, will be permitted to prosecute companies that they suspect have used their resources without authorization or interfered with authentication markers. The provisions also allow State attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission to enforce the regulations, prohibiting anyone from “removing, disabling, or tampering with content provenance information” except for some security research purposes.

Endorsement by Industry Specialists and the AI Community

The bill has been favorably received by numerous artists’ associations and publishing groups. They include SAG-AFTRA, Artist Rights Alliance, the News/Media Alliance, and the Recording Industry Association of America. Similarly, the Senate AI Working Group member Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Commerce Committee member Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) are also leading the bill.

Many leaders in the field have applauded the bill’s introduction. SAG-AFTRA national executive director and principal negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, expressed his concerns about the potential threats posed by AI, stating, “The capability of AI to output remarkably precise digital depictions of performers postulates a tangible and immediate menace to the economic and reputational well-being and autonomy of our members.”

The Broader Context – A Surge in AI-Related Bills

The Legislature has been actively introducing a series of AI-related bills as they strive to understand and effectively manage the evolving technology. The COPIED Act is uniquely positioned, having the full backing of a powerful committee leader, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA).

However, the numerous stakeholders involved in AI – from artists to software developers and policy makers – emphasize the need for a transparent and accountable supply chain for generative Artificial Intelligence and the content it produces. The rights of individuals to control the use of their face, voice, and persona is paramount and the COPIED Act is a step in the right direction to protect these rights.