ARA Statement in Support of SMART Copyright Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 18, 2022) — The Artist Rights Alliance applauds the introduction of The SMART Copyright Act of 2022 today by Senators Patrick Leahy and Thom Tillis. The bill gives the Copyright Office and Librarian of Congress new authority to designate widely available and effective “technical measures” — tools that allow copyright owners to identify their works on digital platforms and take action if they are being used without permission.
This bi-partisan legislation is a huge step forward towards these goals — making it easier for artists to control their music online and holding tech companies accountable for unlicensed work on their platforms.
Last month, the Artist Rights Alliance submitted comments to the Copyright Office in support of standard technical measures, writing,
“Broad adoption and implementation of technical measures that identify and protect music would help artists and songwriters enormously. It would let them focus on creating new music and lessen the need to monitor for infringements of their existing work. It would also likely increase the number of artists, musicians and songwriters that can make a living from their music. And it would send a message that digital platforms are partners in a healthy music economy, not zero-sum game competitors focused solely on their own bottom lines.”
Contact: ara@artistrightsalliance.com
About the Artist Rights Alliance:
The Artist Rights Alliance is an artist-run, non-profit organization fighting for songwriters and musicians in the modern music economy. It is led by a Board of Directors including GRAMMY winner Rosanne Cash, artist manager Thomas Manzi, John McCrea of CAKE, critically acclaimed Americana singer/songwriter Tift Merritt, award-winning producer Ivan Barias, world guitar innovator Matthew Montfort, and Indie label executive and musician Maggie Vail. ARA works to ensure artists are at the table when decisions are made on policies that affect their lives and livelihoods and empowers artists to advocate directly for themselves through classes, events, and presentations to demystify music, politics, and the spaces where they intersect.
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