USPTO To Do A Deep Dive On Deepfakes

The United States Patent and Trademark office ("USPTO") has stated that it will be holding a roundtable on August 5, 2024, to address whether current laws are sufficient to protect individuals from the unauthorized reproductions of their voice, image, or likeness commonly referred to as "deepfakes." The USPTO is seeking public input, and members of the public are invited to speak both in-person and virtually at the roundtable event.

Deepfakes are becoming a hot-button legal issue and are at the forefront of much AI discussion. One reason for this is the current election cycle, with concerns about the use of generative AI to create audio, video, or images of political candidates apparently doing or saying things which never actually occurred and may be harmful to their campaign or their position. Deepfakes are also used to create fake videos and images of celebrities, which can often be harmful to their reputation. Of course, while the commentary tends to focus on