Giorgia Meloni seeks to trademark her voice to fight AI deepfakes

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has applied to trademark her voice with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), in a move aimed at strengthening legal protection against AI-generated deepfakes and unauthorised voice cloning.

The application, filed on October 5, reportedly includes a four-second audio recording of Meloni repeating "I am Giorgia" in Italian. The phrase is closely associated with the Italian prime minister and was also used as the title of her 2021 autobiography.

Why is Giorgia Meloni trademarking her voice?

The move comes as artificial intelligence tools make it increasingly easy to replicate a person's voice and create realistic audio or video content. AI-generated deepfakes can make it appear as though public figures have made statements or endorsements that they never actually made.

By seeking trademark protection for her voice, Meloni could gain an additional legal avenue to challenge certain unauthorised uses of her voice, particularly where the use falls within the scope of trademark law.

Will the trademark stop AI voice clones?

Not automatically. Even if the application is approved, a trademark would not itself prevent people from creating AI-generated replicas of Meloni's voice.

However, it could strengthen her legal position in cases involving unauthorised commercial use or other uses covered by the trademark. The precise protection would depend on the scope of the registration and applicable European law.

Application remains under review

Meloni's application is currently under review by the EUIPO. Its outcome could add to the growing legal debate around how existing intellectual property laws can be used to protect people's voices and identities in the age of generative AI.

The case also highlights a broader challenge facing politicians, celebrities and other public figures as voice-cloning technology becomes increasingly accessible.