Bill > SB2046

This bill, known as the Mississippians' Right to Name, Likeness and Voice Act, establishes that every individual in Mississippi has a property right in their own name, likeness (which includes their image or how they are recognized), and voice, and these rights can be transferred, licensed, and inherited for ten years after death. The Act defines key terms such as "commercial use" (using someone's identity for advertising or sales), "digital depiction" (computer-generated images or videos of a person), and "digital voice replica" (computer-generated audio of a person's voice), especially those created using artificial intelligence or other advanced digital technologies. It creates liability for individuals or entities that distribute unauthorized "personalized cloning services" or publish digital voice replicas or depictions without consent, with penalties including significant monetary damages and potential punitive damages and attorney fees. However, the bill includes a First Amendment defense, meaning certain uses related to news, public affairs, historical accounts, commentary, criticism, scholarship, satire, or parody are not considered violations, provided they are not used to create a false impression of the individual's participation or are fleeting. The Act also specifies that commercial use without written consent can lead to injunctions and lawsuits for damages, including treble damages if authorization was not sought in good faith, and clarifies that it does not limit other existing rights and has specific exceptions for telecommunications providers and media outlets publishing advertisements.

Education, Justice

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/SB/SB2046.xml