WASHINGTON, D.C. – At the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive panel “Copyright & Creators 2026” on Friday, March 11, policy experts–including a fanworks leader, social justice advocate, futurist and veteran reporter–debated the trajectory of copyright law over the next decade. Organized by the Re:Create Coalition, the panelists took on copyright law’s impact on consumers, fans, digital entrepreneurs, and underprivileged communities today and discussed how the law may evolve to meet the demands of innovation and the creative economy.

“Asking how future copyright can protect the market value of copyrighted works is asking the wrong question,” said panelist Betsy Rosenblatt, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Intellectual Property Law at Whittier Law School as well as Legal Chair of the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW). “The better question, urged by the Constitution, is how future copyright can promote progress, which may depend not only on market value, but also on other things like building creators’ skills, encouraging diverse creators, and facilitating availability of works.”

“We need to consider establishing an ‘affirmative right of recognition’ as opposed to a ‘default right of attribution,’” said panelist Lateef Mtima, professor of law at Howard University School of Law. “This would not only work to promote innovation and creativity but also encourage greater inclusivity and sharing.”

“What the future of copyright will look like in 2026 depends on how we think about copyright today. If we want to shape the future, instead of react to it, we need to start taking notice and talking about what factors and trends are driving copyright,” said panelist Alexandra Mogyoros, futurist and doctoral student at the University of Oxford, Faculty of Law.

“We are excited to have joined SXSW Interactive this year to discuss the future of copyright with some of the brightest and most creative minds in technology,” said Josh Lamel, Executive Director of the Re:Create Coalition. “From small startups to major corporations to consumers and creators, we hope this conversation is a positive step forward toward establishing a more balanced copyright system in order to foster innovation and creativity.”

Re:Create represents a cross-section of creators, advocates, thinkers and consumers seeking to promote copyright standards that foster innovation, creativity and economic growth. For more information, please visit recreatecoalition.org.