TL;DR
A parliamentary petition calling for stronger UK copyright protection over people’s voices crossed 10,000 signatures on 3 November, which means the government must now give a formal response. The campaign behind it, Save Our Voices Now, is backed by around 80 performers. They argue that AI makes copying a voice without consent far too easy.
What the petition asks
Titled “Strengthen copyright laws on our voices”, the petition argues that our voices are central to who we are, yet poorly protected by current law. It wants everyone in Britain to have clearer, enforceable ownership of their own voice. It cites legislative proposals in Denmark and state laws in the US as examples, and argues that weak protection threatens voice artists’ careers and people’s identity security.
The parliamentary site shows the 10,000 threshold was reached on the afternoon of 3 November. By the morning of 6 November the count stood at 10,502. The petition opened on 6 July and closes on 6 January 2027. Reaching 100,000 signatures would put it up for consideration for a debate in Parliament, but would not guarantee one.
Who is behind it
The campaign was founded by Peter Caulfield, an actor who also does voice work, and began with an open letter over the summer. Backers include the Derry Girls actors Nicola Coughlan and Siobhán McSweeney, along with Luke Evans, Jen Brister, Pearl Mackie, Matt Lucas and Hugh Bonneville. “My voice is one of my tools,” McSweeney said. Bonneville called his voice “part of my identity”.
Why it matters
The petition’s argument is that existing law leaves a voice poorly protected. We covered that gap in June and reported on performers lobbying for a legal right to their voice in August. In our view, the petition’s significance is procedural rather than numerical. A formal response forces the government to state its position on record at a time when it is, SoaplandTV reports, already examining whether new protections for AI copies of voices and likenesses are needed.
Looking Forward
A government response does not mean new law. The useful signal will be whether ministers commit to a specific mechanism, such as a personality or voice right, or simply point to existing copyright and data law. Businesses using synthetic voice in marketing, customer service or media should follow the answer.