In 2026, a wave of legal battles emerged involving unauthorized uses of personal images, voices, and creative work. One notable area of dispute involves voice actors and broadcasters filing class actions against major tech companies like Google. These plaintiffs argue that their voices were used without consent to train AI systems, claiming violations of biometric privacy laws and rights of publicity. The debates hinge on whether current copyright fair use defenses might extend to these new kinds of publicity infringement claims.

High-profile celebrities have also entered the fray. Dua Lipa sued Samsung for $15 million after her face appeared on TV packaging without permission, citing right of publicity violations and false endorsement under the Lanham Act. Meanwhile, the family of late baseball star Roberto Clemente sued Puerto Rico for using his name and image on a commemorative license plate without consent, highlighting ongoing protectiveness over likeness rights even after death.

Legal challenges are expanding beyond personal image and voice. Miami sheriff deputies sued a production company owned by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck over defamatory portrayals in a film inspired by true events, although they face hurdles since the characters weren’t named and the movie was dramatized fiction. On a different front, musicians are pushing back against record labels licensing their music to AI companies for derivative works, demanding fair compensation for these “new uses.”

Some celebrities are taking proactive steps to protect their rights by filing trademarks on their voices and images. Taylor Swift recently trademarked her voice greeting and a performing image, following Matthew McConaughey’s lead. However, trademark law’s focus on preventing consumer confusion doesn’t fully shield unauthorized use in emerging AI contexts, underscoring calls for a stronger, uniform federal right of publicity law like the proposed NO FAKES bill. Meanwhile, visual artists also fight unauthorized alterations, as seen in a lawsuit over destruction of a sculpture without permission. Collectively, these cases reflect growing tensions around control and compensation in the age of AI and media reproduction.