DCC Comments to the US Government for the Special 301 Process

The Digital Creators Coalition (DCC), representing a broad cross-section of U.S. creative industries, submitted comments to the U.S. Trade Representative urging strong international protection of copyright in the 2026 Special 301 Review, particularly in the context of artificial intelligence. The coalition argues that generative AI systems are being trained on copyrighted works without authorization or compensation and strongly opposes foreign laws that create text-and-data-mining (TDM) exceptions or statutory licensing regimes allowing such use. Emphasizing that copyright industries contribute over $3.3 trillion to U.S. GDP and support more than 21 million jobs, the DCC calls on the U.S. government to explicitly reject AI-related copyright exceptions, press trading partners to uphold strong IP protections, ensure transparency and record keeping in AI training, and defend existing trade agreements from provisions that would weaken creators’ rights.