Meloni files a four-second audio clip with the EU's intellectual property office, though experts say it will not stop cloned voices from being created.Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni has applied to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to trademark her voice, in a new attempt to protect herself against AI-generated deepfakes.The filing, dated 5 October, appears on the EUIPO website and was confirmed by her office, according to Reuters. The application contains a four-second recording in which Meloni says "I am Giorgia Meloni" in Italian, repeating the phrase twice. The phrase echoes "Io sono Giorgia", the title of her 2021 autobiography, which drew on a declaration she made at a political rally in 2019.The application is listed as "under examination", and it is now up to the EUIPO to decide whether the recording can be registered. It covers three categories of services: downloadable multimedia content, cultural activities and the organisation of political events.If approved, Meloni could take legal action across Europe against infringement or counterfeiting of the mark, according to Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper. She could seek the removal of unlawful material from the market, claim damages and bring criminal proceedings. Italy's criminal code provides for fines and imprisonment for the offence of counterfeiting or altering a trademark.Italian media have reported that registration would not by itself prevent her voice from being used in deepfakes, but could create additional legal obstacles for those who replicate it.Manipulated images of Meloni have circulated online repeatedly in recent years and have at times been shared as authentic. She has denounced such material as part of efforts to spread falsehoods and target individuals, and has urged users to verify content before sharing it. She has said she is able to defend herself, but that many others are not.In 2024, she launched a civil action against a man from Sardinia accused of creating and posting deepfake pornographic images using her face. The case remains pending before an Italian court.Meloni is not the first public figure in Italy to take this route. Singer Giusy Ferreri and voice actor Luca Ward have also reportedly turned to the EUIPO.   Photo credit: Marco Iacobucci Epp / Shutterstock.com

Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni has applied to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to trademark her voice, in a new attempt to protect herself against AI-generated deepfakes. The filing, dated 5 October, appears on the EUIPO website and was confirmed by her office, according to Reuters. The application contains a four-second recording in which Meloni says "I am Giorgia Meloni" in Italian, repeating the phrase twice. The phrase echoes "Io sono Giorgia", the title of , which drew on a declaration she made at a political rally in 2019.

The application is listed as "under examination", and it is now up to the EUIPO to decide whether the recording can be registered. It covers three categories of services: downloadable multimedia content, cultural activities and the organisation of political events.

If approved, Meloni could take legal action across Europe against infringement or counterfeiting of the mark, according to Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper. She could seek the removal of unlawful material from the market, claim damages and bring criminal proceedings. Italy's criminal code provides for fines and imprisonment for the offence of counterfeiting or altering a trademark.

Italian media have reported that registration would not by itself prevent her voice from being used in deepfakes, but could create additional legal obstacles for those who replicate it.

Manipulated images of Meloni have circulated online repeatedly in recent years and have at times been shared as authentic. She has denounced such material as part of efforts to spread falsehoods and target individuals, and has urged users to verify content before sharing it. She has said she is able to defend herself, but that many others are not.

In 2024, she launched a civil action against a man from Sardinia accused of creating and posting deepfake pornographic images using her face. The case remains pending before an Italian court.

Meloni is not the first public figure in Italy to take this route. Singer Giusy Ferreri and voice actor Luca Ward have also reportedly turned to the EUIPO.   Photo credit: Marco Iacobucci Epp / Shutterstock.com