Washington — The Computer & Communications Industry Association today filed an amicus brief urging the Northern District of California court to confirm that training generative artificial intelligence models on copyrighted material – in this case, song lyrics – is a lawful fair use that supports innovation and free expression.
CCIA’s brief makes three main points. First, copyright exists to promote progress, not to shield business models from competition. Second, AI training is highly transformative: it uses copyrighted works to identify patterns and build new technology tools. Third, claims that AI creates unlawful market harm are misplaced; copyright does not prohibit competition from new, non-infringing types of expression.
The brief also notes that multiple federal courts have already concluded that AI training qualifies as fair use, reinforcing that this approach is consistent with longstanding precedent.
The following can be attributed to CCIA President & CEO Matt Schruers:
“Fair use ensures copyright law promotes progress rather than stifling it. Training AI models is a modern, transformative use that enables new tools for creativity, research, and access to information.”
