Protecting the Original In A World of Copies
Recently I finally got around to watching one of 2025’s hottest sci-fi films Mickey 17 which released earlier in the year. This summer, Denmark announced a new law.
These two facts may seem completely unrelated, but please stay with me for this one because actually, they are. Well, sort of.
Denmark’s New Law: A Landmark in Personality Rights and AI Regulation
Denmark is currently finalising a law that will grant individuals copyright-like rights over their own likeness (encompassing their face, voice and body) to combat the rise of the misuse of AI generated deepfakes. This new law aims to allow citizens to request removal of unauthorised AI generated impersonations and potentially, claim compensation[1][2][3][4].
The proposed new law has broad cross‑party support, and if enacted (around late 2025 or early 2026), will empower Danish citizens to enforce rights under copyright law, furthermore tech platforms may face fines if they fail to remove illicit content[2][4][5].
Implications for IP
This new legislation fundamentally expands the concept of personality rights. Personality rights refer to the legal protections that allow individuals to control the commercial use of their name, image, voice, likeness, or other aspects of their personal identity. The potentially new law aligns with the doctrine of “right of publicity” (typically found in U.S. law) by explicitly affirming that individuals own their personal traits in a copyright‑style framework[6]. Platforms distributing deepfakes must now respect these identity rights, or risk legal liability and regulatory enforcement under the EU’s Digital Services Act[4].
Mickey 17
For those who do not know, the film Mickey 17 explores existential questions of identity and death in a world where you can be reprinted (cloned). The title character is repeatedly reprinted after death, with the same memories as his previous clones and navigates life as an “expendable” labourer[7][8][9] . The film confronts what it means to own one’s identity, especially when multiple versions exist.
This resonates with Denmark’s new law. Mickey 17 asks who controls personal identity when it becomes reproducible for others gain? Just as Mickey loses self-worth, clone after clone, individuals risk losing control over their image and voice when digital replicas can be generated without consent. Denmark’s law asserts that your identity is not free‑for‑all for anybody, even for cloned or an AI generated likenesses.
Conclusion
Denmark’s proposed new law marks a bold step in modernising copyright and personality rights for the AI era. By giving individuals control over the commercial use of their face, voice and body, it responds directly to the growing threat posed by deepfakes and digital cloning.
We are not code, and we are not copies. Our identities belong to us. This move from Denmark not only protects citizens from identity theft and manipulation but also sets a precedent that could influence legal frameworks across Europe and beyond.
References
[1] The Guardian. “Denmark to tackle deepfakes by giving people copyright to their own features.” https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/27/deepfakes-denmark-copyright-law-artificial-intelligence
[2] Vice. “Denmark Is Fighting AI by Giving Citizens Copyright to Their Own Faces.” https://www.vice.com/en/article/denmark-is-fighting-ai-by-giving-citizens-copyright-to-their-own-faces/
[3] The Good Lobby. “Denmark gives everybody the right to their own body, facial features and voice to counter deepfakes.” https://thegoodlobby.eu/denmark-gives-everybody-the-right-to-their-own-body-facial-features-and-voice-to-counter-deepfakes/
[4] Associated Press (“AP News”). “Denmark seeks to make it illegal to spread deepfake images, citing concern about misinformation.” https://apnews.com/article/73ed761617ebbdb8382086287530a7f6
[5] Time. “Denmark Seeks to Give People Copyright to Their Own Features in Effort to Combat AI Deepfakes.” https://time.com/7298425/ai-deepfakes-denmark-copyright-amendment/
[6] Wikipedia. “Digital cloning” / Right of publicity. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_cloning/
[7] Wikipedia. “Mickey 17” film. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_17
[8] SJH Express. “With Mickey 17, Bong Joon‑ho Questions Human Individuality.” https://sjhexpress.com/ae/2025/03/28/with-mickey-17-bong-joon-ho-questions-human-individuality/
[9] Daily Nous. “Mickey 17, Personal Identity, Teletransportation, and To Be.” https://dailynous.com/2025/03/18/mickey-17-personal-identity-teletransportation-and-to-be/