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To amend title 17, United States Code, to establish sovereign ownership rights in unique likeness for U.S. citizens, to protect against unauthorized digital replications and abuses, and for other purposes.
Summary
This House bill amends federal copyright law to grant U.S. citizens exclusive rights to their personal likeness, including their name, image, voice, biometric identifiers, and digital reproductions. The bill establishes that these rights are automatically owned and endure for the life of the individual plus 50 years after death, and cannot be used for unauthorized digital replicas or synthetic media. The bill includes exceptions for fair use such as parody and news reporting, government activities, and First Amendment-protected speech. Owners may bring civil lawsuits for injunctive relief and statutory damages ranging from $750 to $30,000 per violation, with higher damages for willful violations, and platforms may be held liable for failing to remove unauthorized content after receiving notice.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5] (R-AZ)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Andy Biggs’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- SAULSBURY INDUSTRIES $9,900
- 21ST CENTURY HEALTHCARE $7,500
- ULINE $6,600
- TW LEWIS COMPANY $6,600
- LEE BENSON $6,600
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Andy Biggs → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Apr 16, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. · house
- Apr 16, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 16, 2026
Mr. Biggs of Arizona introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To amend title 17, United States Code, to establish sovereign ownership rights in unique likeness for U.S. citizens, to protect against unauthorized digital replications and abuses, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Sovereign Ownership of Unique Likeness Act of 2026” or the “SOUL Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO TITLE 17, UNITED STATES CODE.
Title 17, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new chapter:
“CHAPTER 14—SOVEREIGN OWNERSHIP OF UNIQUE LIKENESS
“1401. Definitions. “1402. Rights granted. “1403. Exceptions and limitations. “1404. Remedies and enforcement. “1405. Preemption and severability. “Sec. 1401. Definitions “In this chapter:
“(1) Individual’s unique likeness.—The term ‘individual’s unique likeness’ means the set of personal traits owned by each U.S. citizen from birth or upon development or acquisition, including:
“(A) Name, including full legal name, nicknames, or stage names.
“(B) Image, including photographs, videos, digital representations, or any visual depictions.
“(C) Likeness, including physical appearance, body shape, movements, habits, or style.
“(D) Voice, including natural speaking or singing voice and any artificial intelligence-generated reproductions.
“(E) Biometric identifiers, including facial geometry, iris patterns, vocal timbre, gait, or fingerprints, when used to replicate or identify an individual for commercial purposes, excluding uses for law enforcement or national security.
“(F) Genetic markers, including DNA sequences or traits that could be used to replicate or misuse identity in commercial applications, such as artificial intelligence tools, with exemptions for medical or research purposes under applicable laws, including the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (42 U.S.C. 2000ff et seq.).
“(G) Other related traits, including avatars, deepfakes, or digital replicas derived from the elements described in subparagraphs (A) through (F), encompassing artificial intelligence-generated identity data. The term ‘unique likeness’ shall be construed broadly to adapt to technological advancements.
“(2) Digital replica.—The term ‘digital replica’ means any computer-generated or technologically created representation that reproduces or simulates an individual’s unique likeness without authorization, including deepfakes or synthetic media.
“(3) Owner.—The term ‘owner’ means the U.S. citizen to whom the unique likeness belongs, or their authorized licensee, heir, or assignee after death.
“(4) Platform.—The term ‘platform’ means any interactive computer service as defined in section 230(f)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 230(f)(2)) that hosts user-generated content. “Sec. 1402. Rights granted
“(a) Exclusive Rights.—The owner has the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, publicly display, perform, or create derivative works based on their unique likeness. This prohibits unauthorized digital replicas or synthetic media.
“(b) Duration.—The rights under this chapter endure for the life of the individual plus 50 years after death, regardless of commercial exploitation during life.
“(c) Scope.—These rights apply to U.S. citizens and activities affecting interstate commerce. Rights are inalienable except through voluntary waiver or license by the owner. Ownership vests automatically without registration. “Sec. 1403. Exceptions and limitations
“(a) Exemptions.—The rights under this chapter do not apply to:
“(1) Non-commercial uses qualifying as fair use under section 107 of this title, including parody, satire, caricature, criticism, news reporting, scholarly commentary, transformative artistic works, incidental inclusions, or public domain elements.
“(2) Government activities, including law enforcement or national security.
“(3) Activities protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, consistent with judicial precedents.
“(b) No Retroactive Application.—This chapter does not affect uses authorized before the effective date. “Sec. 1404. Remedies and enforcement
“(a) Civil Remedies.—An owner may bring a civil action in Federal district court for:
“(1) Injunctive relief to prevent or restrain violations.
“(2) Takedown orders for unauthorized content.
“(3) Actual damages or statutory damages of not less than $750 nor more than $30,000 per violation, as the court considers just.
“(4) In cases of willful violation, up to $150,000 in statutory damages. No proof of economic or reputational harm is required; harm is presumed.
“(b) Platform Liability.—A platform is liable if it fails to remove unauthorized content after receiving a valid takedown notice, but may qualify for safe harbor protection if it acts in good faith, consistent with section 512 of this title (Digital Millennium Copyright Act).
“(c) No Criminal Penalties.—This chapter provides only civil remedies. “Sec. 1405. Preemption and severability
“(a) Preemption.—This chapter preempts any State law that provides equivalent rights or remedies for unique likeness, to ensure uniformity.
“(b) Severability.—If any provision of this chapter is held invalid, the remainder shall not be affected.”.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act takes effect 90 days after the date of enactment. <all>
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