Reps. Van Duyne, Clarke, and Foushee Introduce Bipartisan CREATOR Act to Protect Creators with Visual Artistic Protections

Washington, D.C.- U.S. Representatives Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), and Valerie Foushee (D-NC) announce the introduction of the Creative Rights Ensuring Artists' Technique and Originality Are Reserved (CREATOR) Act, legislation designed to safeguard visual artists from the unauthorized commercial exploitation of their unique and creative artistic styles in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).

The CREATOR Act reflects the Congressional Creators Caucus' broader mission to support creators and to foster policies that promote innovation while protecting intellectual property rights, economic opportunity, and overall creativity. Specifically, the legislation would establish a new federal right that protects visual artists from the unauthorized commercial use and public distribution of AI-generated works that constitute a stylistic impersonation of their art.

This legislation was inspired by creators, artists, and stakeholders engaged through the bipartisan Congressional Creators Caucus, which Rep. Van Duyne co-founded alongside Rep. Clarke, to elevate the voices of digital creators and entrepreneurs in federal policymaking.

"Since launching the Congressional Creators Caucus, I've had the privilege of hearing directly from an incredible and growing community of creators across this country," said Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne. "Artists, illustrators, and designers in every district are watching their livelihoods be undercut by AI tools deliberately impersonating them, but right now, the law has no answer for it. These are people who have spent a lifetime building their creative identity - they deserve protection. I have heard loud and clear that this is a growing problem across the industry, and the CREATOR Act is a direct response. I'm glad to be leading this bipartisan effort alongside Representatives Clarke and Foushee, taking direct aim at the bad actors who knowingly use AI to fake an artist's identity for commercial gain."

"Creators and artists have been sounding the alarm about the misuse of their work and identities by AI systems," said Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke. "As AI continues to evolve rapidly, Congress must work to ensure resources and protections are in place to support content creators in succeeding in this new era of start-ups and meet the moment. Through the Congressional Creators Caucus, we have heard directly from individuals whose livelihoods depend on their intellectual property and creative expression. The CREATOR Act is a direct response to those concerns and represents an important step toward ensuring that innovation does not come at the expense of the creators who drive it. I want to thank my colleagues for working on this bipartisan legislation and delivering on our promise to create an economy for the next generation of entrepreneurship in America."

"Creative jobs and workers must be supported as AI threatens to disrupt their livelihoods and exploit creative work. As we work to establish guardrails that protect our communities, ensuring that AI-generated content cannot deliberately replicate a visual artists' distinctive style without consent is critical to protecting artistic expression, preserving our nation's vibrancy, and advancing civil rights," said Congresswoman Valerie Foushee. "AI companies are reshaping our economy and society faster than our laws have kept pace, often without adequate transparency or accountability, and Congress must make regulating this technology a priority. I'm proud to join Representatives Beth Van Duyne and Yvette Clarke in introducing the CREATOR Act to strengthen protections for artists from AI misuse and prevent the unauthorized commercialization of AI-generated imitations of their work. I look forward to continuing to push for legislation that puts people over Big Tech."

"AI has the power to supercharge human creativity - but only if creators have rights that match the realities of the technology," said Louise Pentland, Chief Legal Officer, Adobe. "There are no existing frameworks that can defend against AI-driven style imitation, and in the age of AI, that gap leaves creators and artists increasingly vulnerable. The CREATOR Act closes that gap by establishing a federal right protecting visual artists' signature styles from intentional, commercial AI-enabled impersonation and giving creators meaningful recourse. We commend Representatives Van Duyne, Clarke, and Foushee for introducing this legislation. The artists who power America's $1.2 trillion creative economy have earned this protection, and we urge Congress to move quickly to advance this important bill."

"As an illustrator, my identity and career come from years of dedication to my craft derived from personal experience. With my podcast, I amplified Latinx artists who have likewise spent years building their own inimitable style. When AI is used to replicate work without consent, it's so much more damaging than just copying an image; it's profiting unfairly off of someone else's creative vision, skill, and dedication. The CREATOR Act would give artists like me a real legal right to protect our work, and I'm proud to support it," said Fabiola Lara, Philadelphia-based Illustrator.

"For the past 10 years, I've worked to build a creative style and visual identity that reflects my story, perspective, and lived experience as a photographer and multimedia artist. My work is deeply personal to who I am and how I connect with others. Seeing AI systems replicate the work and likeness of creators without consent is terrifying, especially for independent artists whose creativity is directly tied to their livelihood. The CREATOR Act is an important step toward giving creators legal protection and accountability when AI is used to imitate or profit from our work without permission. I'm proud to support the CREATOR Act and grateful to Representatives Beth Van Duyne, Yvette Clarke, and Valerie Foushee for championing legislation that helps protect the future of creative work," said Alexsey Reyes, Houston-based photographer and multimedia artist.

"AI can now mimic a photographer's visual identity with alarming precision, and the law has not kept pace. The CREATOR Act would give visual artists a layer of protection they've needed for a long time. I've been part of the Content Authenticity Initiative since its inception, and to me, this legislation is a critical next step in making that work matter in the real world," said Andrew Scrivani, D.C.-based photographer, author, and multimedia artist.

"The Graphic Artists Guild applauds Representatives Beth Van Duyne and Yvette D. Clark for their efforts to protect the rights of artists, illustrators, designers, and other creators as artificial intelligence technologies become increasingly integrated into creative industries. Artists deserve meaningful protections against the unauthorized use and exploitation of their distinctive styles, and they should have clear avenues for recourse when bad actors misuse generative AI systems to imitate or profit from their work without consent," said Rachel Sheeran, Advocacy Co-Chair, The Graphic Artists Guild.

"BSA commends Representatives Van Duyne and Clarke for their work and introduction of the CREATOR Act to support America's visual artist communities. The legislation is an important step in the broader effort to protect visual artists from the intentional dissemination and sale of AI-generated outputs that unfairly compete and mislead the public," said Aaron Cooper, Senior Vice President, Global Policy, Business Software Alliance (BSA).

"The PLUS Coalition commends Representatives Van Duyne and Clarke for their bipartisan leadership in advancing protections and accountabilities as generative AI becomes increasingly integrated into creative, educational, cultural, research, and commercial industries. Their efforts recognize the need to balance innovation with meaningful safeguards and clarified boundaries for the broad ecosystem of stakeholders who create, preserve, manage, license, and rely on creative content. As AI technologies continue to evolve, stakeholders will benefit from readily apparent guardrails supporting informed decisions about the use of creative works, styles, identities, and intellectual assets; meaningful protections against unauthorized exploitation; and effective mechanisms to address misuse when it occurs. Fostering trust in the digital ecosystem is essential to sustaining a vibrant and innovative creative economy," said Professor Jeffrey Sedlik, President, PLUS Coalition.

Read the full bill text HERE.

Read Axios exclusive here.

Read Adobe's blog post here.

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