{"id":5188,"date":"2025-04-09T18:03:50","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T18:03:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/no-fakes-act-reintroduced-with-industry-backing-for-ai-deepfake-bill\/"},"modified":"2025-04-09T18:03:50","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T18:03:50","slug":"no-fakes-act-reintroduced-with-industry-backing-for-ai-deepfake-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/no-fakes-act-reintroduced-with-industry-backing-for-ai-deepfake-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"NO FAKES Act Reintroduced With Industry Backing for AI Deepfake Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

\n\tT<\/span>he NO FAKES Act was reintroduced to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate on Wednesday (April 9) with the help of country legend Randy Travis<\/a>, his wife Mary Travis<\/strong> and Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe reintroduction of the bill, designed to protect artists against unauthorized AI deepfake impersonations, was part of the Recording Academy\u2019s annual GRAMMYs on the Hill initiative, in which the organization visits D.C. to meet with elected officials and advocate for a variety of music-related causes. On Wednesday, the GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards celebrated Travis, along with U.S. Representatives Linda S\u00e1nchez<\/strong> (D-CA) and Ron Estes<\/strong> (R-KS), for their dedication and advocacy for the rights of music creators.<\/p>\n

\n\tIntroduced by Senators\u00a0Marsha Blackburn<\/strong>\u00a0(R-TN),\u00a0Chris Coons<\/strong>\u00a0(D-DE),\u00a0Thom Tillis<\/strong>\u00a0(R-NC) and\u00a0Amy Klobuchar<\/strong>\u00a0(D-MN) and Representatives\u00a0Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar<\/strong>\u00a0(R-FL-27),\u00a0Madeleine Dean<\/strong>\u00a0(D-PA-4)\u00a0Nathaniel Moran<\/strong>\u00a0(R-TX-1),\u00a0Becca Balint\u00a0<\/strong>(D-VT-At Large), the NO FAKES Act has also found new supporters in an unlikely place: the tech industry. The bill is now supported by tech giants like YouTube, OpenAI, IBM and Adobe, showing a rare moment of solidarity between artists and big tech in the AI age.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe NO FAKES Act was first introduced as a draft bill in 2023, and formally introduced to the Senate in the summer of 2024. If passed, the legislation would create federal intellectual property protections for the so-called right of publicity for the first time, which adds restrictions to how someone\u2019s name, image, likeness and voice can be used without consent. Currently, these rights are only protected at the state level, leading to a patchwork of varying laws around the nation.<\/p>\n

\n\tUnlike some of the patchy state publicity rights laws, the federal right that the NO FAKES Act would create would not expire at death and could be controlled by a person\u2019s heirs for 70 years after their passing.\u00a0There are, however, specific carve outs for replicas used in news, parody, historical works and criticism to ensure the First Amendment right to free speech remains protected.<\/p>\n

\n\tOver the last few years, as AI voice models have continued to develop, many artists have often found themselves on the receiving end of AI deepfakes. In 2023, the AI music craze kicked off with the so-called \u201cfake Drake\u201d song \u201cHeart On My Sleeve\u201d which featured the unauthorized AI voices of Drake<\/a> and the Weeknd. Last year, Taylor Swift, for example, was the subject of a number of sexually-explicit AI deepfakes of her body; the late\u00a0Tupac Shakur\u2018s voice was deepfaked by fellow rapper\u00a0Drake\u00a0in his\u00a0Kendrick Lamar\u00a0diss track\u00a0\u201cTaylor Made Freestyle,\u201d\u00a0which was posted, and then deleted, on social media.<\/p>\n

\n\tEven President Donald Trump<\/strong> participated in the deepfake trend, posting an unauthorized AI image of Swift allegedly endorsing him during his campaign to return to the White House.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cRecently, I was made aware that [an] AI [image] of \u2018me\u2019 falsely endorsing Donald Trump\u2019s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation,\u201d Swift wrote in an Instagram post soon after. \u201cIt brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tOverall, the bill has seen widespread support among the entertainment industry establishment. According to a press release about the bill\u2019s reintroduction, it is celebrated by Sony Music, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, the Recording Industry Association of America, the Recording Academy, SAG-AFTRA, Human Artistry Campaign, Motion Picture Association and more.<\/p>\n

\n\tRead the entertainment and tech industry\u2019s reactions below:<\/p>\n

\n\tMitch Glazier<\/strong>, chairman and CEO of the RIAA, praised the bipartisan effort, saying \u201cThis bill proves that we can prioritize the growth of AI and protecting American creativity at the same time. We applaud Senators Blackburn, Coons, Tillis and Klobuchar; Representatives Salazar, Dean, Moran, Balint and bipartisan colleagues for their incredible leadership on driving this legislation that provides balanced and effective protections for all individuals against exploitative uses of their voice and likeness while supporting free speech, reducing litigation and achieving the promise of AI technology.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHarvey Mason jr.<\/strong>, CEO of the Recording Academy, added: \u201cThe Academy is proud to represent and serve creators, and for decades, GRAMMYs on the Hill has brought music makers to our nation\u2019s capital to elevate the policy issues affecting our industry. Today\u2019s reintroduction of the NO FAKES Act underscores our members\u2019 commitment to advocating for the music community, and as we enter a new era of technology, we must create guardrails around AI and ensure it enhances \u2013 not replaces \u2013 human creativity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tKyncl added: \u201cI applaud Senators Blackburn and Coons and Representatives Salazar and Dean for their leadership in introducing the NO FAKES Act. This bill reflects what can happen when tech and creative industries come together \u2013 foster cutting edge innovation while protecting human identity and artistry. We look forward to working with key members of the US Senate and House to help pass the NO FAKES Act this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tA spokesperson for Sony Music said: \u201cSony Music is proud to support the No FAKES Act to promote the ethical use of AI and give artists more control over their identity and creative expression. Thank you to the Senate and House sponsors for continuing to champion this bipartisan legislation, which will provide meaningful protections against the unauthorized use of an artist\u2019s voice and image. We look forward to working towards passage of this legislation allowing AI innovation and creativity to flourish.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tA spokesperson for UMG said: \u201cUniversal Music Group applauds the reintroduction of the NO FAKES Act \u2013 landmark, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to address \u2018deepfakes\u2019 and other threats to individuals\u2019 rights to control their own voice and visual likeness. At once, this legislation secures First Amendment protections and takes a critical step to ensure all Americans can protect and control their own persona. We are grateful to the bill\u2019s sponsors for their thoughtful leadership on this important issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tLeslie Miller<\/strong>, vp of public policy at YouTube said: \u201cFor nearly two decades, YouTube has been at the forefront of handling rights management at scale, and we understand the importance of collaborating with partners to tackle these issues proactively. Now, we\u2019re applying that expertise and dedication to partnership to ensure the responsible deployment of innovative AI tools. We thank Senators Coons and Blackburn, and Representatives Salazar and Dean, for their leadership on the NO FAKES Act, which is consistent with our ongoing efforts to protect creators and viewers, and reflects our commitment to shaping a future where AI is used responsibly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tGraham Davies<\/strong>, CEO\/president of the Digital Media Association (DIMA) said: \u201cWe appreciate the hard work of Senators Coons, Blackburn, Tillis, and Klobuchar, and Representatives Salazar and Dean, on the NO FAKES Act. While progress has been made on certain areas of this important bill, further work is needed to achieve workable federal digital replica legislation. DIMA has consistently expressed a willingness to support and contribute to this process, and we look forward to the opportunity to help strengthen and further improve the bill for all stakeholders.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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