The Orrin G. Hatch Foundation today announced contributors to the seventh volume of its annual Hatch Center Policy Review, titled “The Future of Creativity: Copyright, AI, and American Innovation.” The forthcoming publication will feature an introduction by U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and essays by some of the nation’s leading authorities on copyright law, intellectual property, technological innovation, and the creative economy. The volume is scheduled for release in early January 2027.
As artificial intelligence transforms how creative works are produced, distributed, and consumed, policymakers face consequential questions about the future of American copyright law. These issues range from using copyrighted works to train generative AI systems to questions about ownership, licensing, compensation, and the protection of human creativity. These issues have profound implications for creators, innovators, and the industries that contribute to America’s economic and cultural leadership.
This year’s Policy Review brings together an exceptional cross-section of congressional leaders, legal authorities, industry executives, and scholars, including three current and former Registers of Copyrights, to examine these challenges and explore how America’s intellectual property framework can continue to foster technological progress while safeguarding creators’ rights and contributions.
Contributors to Volume VII of the Hatch Center Policy Review include:
- U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) – Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism. He will write the volume’s introduction. His legislative efforts include bipartisan legislation addressing the unauthorized use of copyrighted works in AI training and measures to strengthen transparency and accountability for AI developers.
- U.S. Representative Ben Cline (R-Virginia) – Member of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet, and Co-Chair of the Congressional Songwriters Caucus. His legislative work focuses on copyright protection, emerging technologies, and creators’ rights.
- Shira Perlmutter – Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office. Her work includes administering the nation’s copyright system and addressing the legal and policy questions surrounding artificial intelligence.
- Maria A. Pallante – President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of American Publishers and former Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office. Her career spans federal copyright policymaking and leadership in the publishing industry.
- Karyn A. Temple – Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel of the Motion Picture Association and former Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office. Her work focuses on copyright law, intellectual property policy, and the legal interests of the motion picture and television industries.
- Mitch Glazier – Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His work focuses on protecting the rights and interests of recording artists, record labels, and the broader music community.
- Tracey Armstrong – President and Chief Executive Officer of Copyright Clearance Center. Her work focuses on copyright licensing, rights management, and the evolving relationship between content creators and emerging technologies.
- Michael D. Smith – J. Erik Jonsson Professor of Information Technology and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College. His research examines the economic impact of digital technologies on creative industries, including digital piracy, copyright protection, and the implications of artificial intelligence for intellectual property.
Together, these contributors represent institutions and industries central to the future of American creativity. Their essays will examine the intersection of copyright law and artificial intelligence from multiple perspectives, addressing the legal, economic, and policy considerations that will shape the next generation of innovation.
The seventh volume builds on the Foundation’s longstanding commitment to substantive discussion of complex public policy challenges. The publication also reflects the legacy of the late Senator Orrin G. Hatch, who, during his more than four decades in the U.S. Senate, played a central role in shaping the nation’s intellectual property laws and served as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
