Cate Blanchett and a coalition of A-list actors launched RSL Media yesterday, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit built to give creators a machine-readable way to declare permissions for AI training. The organization builds on the RSL 1.0 standard I covered in December. Back then, I noted that zero major AI companies had committed to honoring it. That number has not changed.
The impressive celebrity roster includes Javier Bardem, George Clooney, Viola Davis, Tom Hanks, Helen Mirren, Steven Soderbergh, Kristen Stewart, Meryl Streep, and Emma Thompson. CAA is also a supporter. The standard covers four rights areas (work, identity, characters, marks) with traffic-light permissions (allowed, allowed with terms, prohibited). A free public registry opens in June, letting anyone declare their preferences. James Everingham, CEO of Guild.ai and former head of engineering at Instagram, co-authored the technical spec.
Most engineers look at licenses and contracts, not nonprofit registries. Star power alone does not force compliance. Every AI company making foundation models knows that broad access to public content costs less than negotiating individual permissions at scale.
This is where CAA matters more than Meryl Streep. When Matthew McConaughey trademarked his likeness in January, his lawyers admitted the strategy was untested. CAA operates on tested ground. Talent agencies embed terms in deal memos every day. When CAA starts requiring RSL compliance clauses in contracts (the way SAG-AFTRA embedded AI protections in its 2023 agreement), AI companies will comply.
Every company needs a Claw strategy. Do you have one?
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it. This work was created with the assistance of various generative AI models.