Singers versus Deepfake Audio: The Legal Position of Singers in Bahrain’s Legal System

Abstract The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly affected various sectors. It has been used to improve the quality of life as well as to commit deceptive and manipulative acts. For many industries, including the entertainment industry, the various uses of AI have disturbed the operation process. One notable example of AI manipulation is the use of deepfake audio in the music industry, which raises important legal questions about the rights of singers. The situation is more complicated in Arabic-speaking countries, where deepfake audio has been used to mimic the voices of Western music artists, creating AI-generated covers in Arabic and leading to what can be referred to as cross-lingual deepfake. Therefore, this paper focuses on the legal issues raised in relation to the application of deepfake audio in the music industry, particularly addressing the issue of cross-lingual deepfake and singers’ rights in the Bahraini legal system. The paper aims to examine the legal countermeasures available for singers to protect their interests and prevent unauthorized use of their voice. It begins by analyzing provisions of copyright laws before exploring alternative legal avenues, namely tort law and rights attached to personality. Finally, the paper identifies the present legislative gap in this field and proposes recognizing a ‘publicity right’ as a suitable legislative framework that guarantees sufficient protection for singers in Bahrain.