Voice Cloning and Copyright:
Law Around the World

It depends on consent and the country, but overall the answer is no—not without the concerned person's agreement. Most legal frameworks that directly address this subject (the ELVIS Act in Tennessee, the SREN law in France, and general rules regarding image rights or personality rights) require explicit authorisation before cloning and commercially exploiting someone's voice. An entirely AI-generated voice, with no reference to an identifiable real person, is treated differently and is generally not protected by copyright.

The ELVIS Act (Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act) is a law in the state of Tennessee, signed on 21 March 2024 and coming into force on 1 July 2024, which explicitly protects an individual's voice as a property right against unauthorised AI cloning. It was the first US law specifically targeting AI vocal cloning, with civil and criminal penalties. It only applies in Tennessee, although similar bills have been introduced in other states.

No. If the cloned voice reproduces an identifiable real person, the person who created the clone does not become its owner—in general, it is the person whose voice has been cloned who retains the rights, through image rights, personality rights, or neighbouring rights depending on the country. Creating an unauthorised clone does not create any new rights for its creator; on the contrary, it can create legal liability.

At the start of 2026, a group of French voice actors served formal notices to two American platforms, Fish Audio and VoiceDub, accusing them of having cloned their voices without consent or payment. The group grew to 25 actors and succeeded in having 47 cloned voice models removed from these platforms. No financial compensation was paid and no court decision was issued — the matter was settled through formal notice, not by trial — but it created an important practical precedent for the profession.

Carefully reread your contracts for vague terms like “derivative uses”, “AI training” or “future uses known or unknown” before signing. Keep a dated proof of your original recordings before sharing or delivering them. Demand a clause explicitly excluding AI training or synthesis unless there is a separate written agreement. If you discover unauthorised use of your voice, gather evidence and consult a lawyer or the relevant rights management organisation in your country. Start for free →

No, there is no single worldwide law. Protection currently consists of a patchwork of national, or even regional, rules: the ELVIS Act in Tennessee (USA), the SREN law and neighbouring rights in France, transparency obligations in the European AI Act, and personality rights or image rights frameworks elsewhere. This is a fast-evolving area of law, with very different rules from one country to another.