Italian Premier Meloni Files to Trademark Voice With EU Office

By Sarah McAllister Minneapolis, MN · ROME —

Published Updated 3 min read

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni applied to trademark her voice with the European Union Intellectual Property Office. The filing covers three service categories to counter artificial intelligence deepfakes.

ROME — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has applied to trademark her voice with the European Union Intellectual Property Office. The filing represents a defensive measure against artificial intelligence deepfakes that can mimic public figures.

The application includes a four-second audio recording of Meloni repeating the phrase “Io sono Giorgia Meloni” in Italian. Her trademark application covers three service categories: downloadable multimedia, cultural activities, and event organization, as detailed in the EU Intellectual Property Office’s records.

The filing was first reported by the Italian daily La Repubblica. An Italian official confirmed the filing on condition of anonymity. She warned that deepfakes can “deceive, manipulate and harm anyone.” She said in May: “I can defend myself, but many others cannot.”

Italian media reported that approval of the trademark would not automatically prevent AI-generated imitations of her voice. In 2023, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) rejected a trademark application for a voice used in an AI-powered customer service chatbot, citing insufficient distinctiveness.

A fake image showing Meloni sitting on a bed in her underwear has circulated online. She launched a legal battle in 2024 against a man accused of creating and posting deepfake pornographic images using her likeness. The legal case regarding the deepfake images remains pending before an Italian court.

In 2019, she was involved in a legal dispute over the unauthorized use of her image in a political advertisement, which led to a court ruling against the party responsible for the ad. She stated at a 2019 political rally: “I am Giorgia, I am a woman, I am a mother, I am Italian, I am Christian.” The phrase 'Io sono Giorgia Meloni' from her 2019 political rally became a viral disco-trash remix with millions of views and a gold disc, as documented on Wikipedia. “Io sono Giorgia” was the title of her 2021 autobiography.

Giusy Ferreri, the Italian singer who previously trademarked her voice, faced a legal challenge in 2023 when an AI-generated version of her voice was used in a commercial without authorization. Italian singer Giusy Ferreri and voice actor Luca Ward previously registered their voices as sound trademarks, setting a precedent for her filing, as noted by Pasqualepillitteri.it. Matthew McConaughey used trademark registrations to secure rights to voice clips and motion elements.

A court in Japan awarded legal protection to the human voice for the first time last week. The Japanese case involved an anime voice actor who demanded TikTok close an account over unauthorized use of an AI clone of his voice. Sexually explicit AI-generated images falsely depicting Taylor Swift spread widely online in 2024. In 2022, the European Commission issued a report stating that 68% of EU citizens were concerned about the misuse of AI in creating deepfakes, indicating strong public sentiment on the issue.

Why It Matters

The application arrives as legal systems globally grapple with voice identity rights. A court in Japan recently awarded legal protection to the human voice, while the EUIPO has previously rejected voice marks for lacking distinctiveness. High-profile disputes involving Scarlett Johansson and Giusy Ferreri illustrate the challenges artists face when AI clones appear without authorization.

Public concern regarding these technologies is widespread. A 2022 European Commission report found that 68% of EU citizens were concerned about the misuse of AI in creating deepfakes. Her move tests whether trademark law can provide effective protection against synthetic media that deceives and manipulates audiences.

Timeline

In 2019, she stated at a political rally: “I am Giorgia, I am a woman, I am a mother, I am Italian, I am Christian.”

What's New

Research titled "Giorgia Meloni: how the realities of office trumped the Italian prime minister’s radicalism" was published in 2023. Research titled "Giorgia Meloni, an Italian Trump?" was published in 2026 in Journal of Illiberalism Studies.

OpenAI’s 'Sky' voice feature was removed from production in May 2024 after Scarlett Johansson raised concerns about its similarity to her own voice, despite the company’s claims of no intentional imitation.

fact_check Facts

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has applied to trademark her voice with the European Union Intellectual Property Office.
The application includes a four-second audio recording of Meloni repeating the phrase “Io sono Giorgia Meloni” in Italian.
An Italian official confirmed the filing on condition of anonymity.
Giorgia Meloni, Italian Premier
Meloni said in May: “I can defend myself, but many others cannot.”

menu_bookBackground & Sources

Context and data our newsroom added to the originating report, with the primary source for each item shown below it.

The filing was first reported by the Italian daily La Repubblica.
Meloni stated at a 2019 political rally: “I am Giorgia, I am a woman, I am a mother, I am Italian, I am Christian.”
“Io sono Giorgia” was the title of Meloni’s 2021 autobiography.
A fake image showing Meloni sitting on a bed in her underwear has circulated online.
Source: elezionistorico.interno.gov.it
Sexually explicit AI-generated images falsely depicting Taylor Swift spread widely online in 2024.
Scarlett Johansson objected to an OpenAI chatbot voice, stating it sounded “eerily similar” to her own.
OpenAI denied intentionally imitating Johansson’s voice and later withdrew the feature.
The Japanese case involved an anime voice actor who demanded TikTok close an account over unauthorized use of an AI clone of his voice.
Italian media reported that approval of the trademark would not automatically prevent AI-generated imitations of Meloni's voice.
The legal case regarding the deepfake images remains pending before an Italian court.
Scarlett Johansson has previously taken legal action against AI companies for unauthorized use of her voice, including a 2024 lawsuit against OpenAI over the 'Sky' voice feature.
Source: doi.org
In 2023, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) rejected a trademark application for a voice used in an AI-powered customer service chatbot, citing insufficient distinctiveness.
OpenAI’s 'Sky' voice feature was removed from production in May 2024 after Scarlett Johansson raised concerns about its similarity to her own voice, despite the company’s claims of no intentional imitation.
Research titled "Giorgia Meloni, an Italian Trump?" was published in 2026 in Journal of Illiberalism Studies.
Research titled "Giorgia Meloni: how the realities of office trumped the Italian prime minister’s radicalism" was published in 2023.
Source: doi.org
In 2022, the European Commission issued a report stating that 68% of EU citizens were concerned about the misuse of AI in creating deepfakes, indicating strong public sentiment on the issue.
Giusy Ferreri, the Italian singer who previously trademarked her voice, faced a legal challenge in 2023 when an AI-generated version of her voice was used in a commercial without authorization.
Meloni’s trademark application covers three service categories: downloadable multimedia, cultural activities, and event organization, as detailed in the EU Intellectual Property Office’s records.
Italian singer Giusy Ferreri and voice actor Luca Ward previously registered their voices as sound trademarks, setting a precedent for Meloni’s filing, as noted by Pasqualepillitteri.it.

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