Meloni Tries to Trademark Her Voice as AI Fakes Close In
Meloni Tries to Trademark Her Voice as AI Fakes Close In
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has applied to trademark her voice at the European Union Intellectual Property Office, seeking a legal route to challenge AI-generated deepfakes that mimic her speech. The filing includes a four-second clip of her saying, “Io sono Giorgia Meloni” — “I am Giorgia Meloni.”
The phrase carries political history. It became synonymous with Meloni after her 2019 rally declaration: “I am Giorgia, I am a woman, I am a mother, I am Italian, I am Christian.” It later became the title of her 2021 autobiography and inspired a disco track.
The Oct. 5 application remains under examination and would not provide protection unless EUIPO approves it. Its listed scope includes downloadable multimedia, cultural activities and the organisation of political events.
For Meloni, the concern is rooted in personal experience. In 2024, she filed a civil case against a man accused of making and circulating inappropriate deepfake images using her likeness; that case is pending. Responding to the images, she said: “I can defend myself, but many others cannot,” warning that AI fakes can “deceive, manipulate, and harm anyone.”
Her filing lands amid a broader scramble over synthetic identities. An AI imitation of Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto’s voice was reportedly used in a 2025 scam targeting wealthy businesspeople, while performers including Scarlett Johansson and Taylor Swift have also confronted alleged AI imitation or sought protections for their voices and likenesses.
Meloni is borrowing a tactic increasingly associated with celebrities, but the political stakes are sharper: a counterfeit song is one thing; a convincing fake message from a sitting prime minister could be another entirely.
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