§2 Amendment to title 17, United States Code
This section establishes a new Chapter 14 of Title 17, United States Code, granting U.S. citizens exclusive "sovereign ownership" rights in their "individual’s unique likeness" (i.e., personal traits owned from birth or acquisition, including name, image, likeness, voice, biometric identifiers, genetic markers, and AI-generated replicas such as deepfakes or digital replicas).
The rights prohibit unauthorized reproduction, distribution, public display, performance, or derivative works based on the unique likeness and last for the individual’s life plus 50 years; they vest automatically without registration, apply to interstate commerce activities, and are inalienable except through voluntary waiver or license.
Exceptions include non-commercial fair uses (e.g., parody, news reporting, transformative works), government activities, and First Amendment protections, with no retroactive application to prior authorized uses.
Owners may seek federal civil remedies, including injunctive relief, takedown orders, actual damages, or statutory damages of $750–$30,000 per violation ($150,000 for willful violations, with harm presumed); platforms face liability for failing to remove content after valid notice but qualify for safe harbor if acting in good faith. The chapter preempts equivalent state laws and includes a severability clause.