Republican, Democratic U.S. lawmakers ask Google to expand copyright protections

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday requested the chief govt of Alphabet’s Google to expand its use of know-how that stops copyright infringement to smaller creators who’re “at a significant disadvantage.”

Copyright holders with “smaller catalogs of works” are deprived with out Google’s “Content ID” know-how, having to manually observe down copyright infringements or permit their mental property to be used, the group of U.S. senators and representatives mentioned of their letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

Creators like Nashville songwriters, who publish their music to YouTube however could not have the large followings of pop stars, are “disproportionately at risk of infringement,” mentioned Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, in an announcement.

The lawmakers requested Pichai if the corporate plans to present entry to its “Content ID” know-how to extra creators on its YouTube video platform and requested Google to ship representatives to reply questions earlier than a congressional panel.

Creators who personal “a substantial body of original material that is frequently uploaded” to YouTube are eligible to use the know-how, in accordance to YouTube’s web site.

Google didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

The group included Jerrold Nadler, Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Republican rating member of that committee Doug Collins, in addition to Democratic rating member of the Senate Judiciary Committee Dianne Feinstein.

The lawmakers additionally requested Pichai how Google determines which creators qualify as these with a “substantial body” of fabric and if Content ID is used on Google’s different platforms corresponding to Google Photos and Google Drive.