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Italy PM Meloni Seeks EU Trademark for Her Voice to Fight AI Deepfakes
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CNBC TV18•05-10-2026, 18:46
Italy PM Meloni Seeks EU Trademark for Her Voice to Fight AI Deepfakes
- •Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni applied to the European Union Intellectual Property Office to trademark her voice.
- •The application includes a four-second audio recording of Meloni repeating the phrase I am Giorgia Meloni in Italian.
- •Meloni has faced issues with manipulated images circulating online, including deepfake pornographic content.
- •While the trademark may not entirely prevent AI replication, it could create additional legal obstacles for offenders.
- •Meloni has previously launched legal action against individuals accused of creating deepfake material using her likeness.
Key Questions Answered
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni applied to the European Union Intellectual Property Office to trademark her voice as a move to protect herself against artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes.
Her application includes a four-second audio recording of herself repeating the phrase in Italian, "I am Giorgia Meloni," which references her 2021 autobiography title and a famous 2019 political rally declaration.
In 2024, Meloni launched a civil action against a man from Sardinia who was accused of creating and posting online deepfake pornographic images utilizing her face.
