Explainer
What is IP and IPR?
Three ideas that sit behind every name, brand and likeness worth protecting.
IP (Intellectual Property)
Intangible assets such as names, logos, creative works and distinctive brand identities. For sports stars, actors and musicians this can include stage names, signature brands, music, performances and original content.
IPR (Intellectual Property Rights)
The legal rights that protect IP, including trademarks, copyright and certain performance rights. They help creators and public figures control how their assets are used, licensed and commercialised.
Image and personality rights
The commercial use of a person's name, image, likeness, voice and other identifying features. These often work alongside IP rights, though legal protection varies by country.
How image rights work in the UK
The UK has no single, standalone image right. There is no register that gives you ownership of your own face. Protection instead comes from several separate legal routes, and in practice it is the combination that does the work.
Trademarks protect names, logos and other signs used in trade, and can cover a name or a distinctive mark registered for the relevant goods and services. Passing off protects the goodwill built up in a name or brand where someone else's use is likely to confuse people into thinking there is a connection. Copyright protects particular creative works such as photographs, footage, artwork and recordings, and the person who took the photograph usually owns the copyright in it, even where the subject is you. Data protection law gives individuals rights over personal data, which can include images that identify them. Contracts, meanwhile, do a great deal of the practical work: image rights agreements, licences, appearance terms and sponsorship contracts set out what has actually been agreed, and what is not permitted.
Protection varies by country
Rules differ from one jurisdiction to the next, and a position that holds in London may not travel. The UAE, where our Dubai office sits in the In5 Tech Hub, and Thailand, where our Bangkok office sits at Samyan Mitrtown, each approach image, personality and trademark protection differently, with different registration systems, enforcement routes, costs and timescales. For talent working across borders, we map where the exposure actually is and work with partner law firms on local enforcement, so that action is taken under the right law in the right place.
The law is moving
Consent is becoming the burden of proof.
- 2 Aug 2026
- EU AI Act transparency duties (Article 50) apply: deepfakes must be disclosed as AI-generated
- 8 Oct 2026
- Denmark tabled bill L 49 to ban realistic imitations of a person's face or voice without consent
- USD 5–25k
- statutory damages per violation proposed under the US NO FAKES Act
Sources: European Commission; Danish Parliament, bill L 49; US Senate Judiciary Committee. General information, not legal advice.
Common risks today
- Unofficial merchandise: shirts, prints, phone cases and other goods carrying a name, number, crest or likeness, sold online and at events.
- Unauthorised use of photographs in advertising, where an image shot for editorial use turns up in a campaign that was never licensed.
- Fake social media accounts posing as the talent, sometimes to sell tickets, merchandise or investment offers.
- AI-generated deepfakes and voice clones: synthetic video, audio or endorsements that appear to come from someone who never agreed to them.
Frequently asked questions
Can I trademark my name?
Yes. A name can be registered as a trademark where it is distinctive and used in trade for particular goods or services. Registration is made per class of goods and services and per territory, so covering a name properly can need more than one filing. A registered mark gives you a right you can rely on, but it does not stop every use of your name; some descriptive or editorial uses fall outside it.
What is an image rights agreement?
A contract that sets out how a person's name, likeness, voice or other identifying features may be used: by whom, for how long, in which territories and media, and for what fee. It can also cover approvals, restrictions on sectors such as gambling or alcohol, and what happens if the terms are broken. For talent and clubs, this is usually where commercial control is actually exercised.
What can I do if my likeness is used without permission?
The options depend on how the image is being used and where. Depending on the circumstances, they can include a request to take the material down, a complaint through platform or data protection processes, a letter before action, or a claim in passing off, copyright or trademark. Evidence matters: screenshots, dates, URLs and proof of any commercial loss all help.
Does copyright protect my music and performances?
Copyright protects the composition and the sound recording, and performers also have rights in recordings of their performances. Who owns what depends on the contracts in place, including label, publishing and production deals. Copyright does not protect a stage name or a general style; those sit under trademark or passing off instead.
How do AI deepfakes affect my image rights?
Synthetic images, video and voice clones can copy a likeness or a voice closely enough to be mistaken for the real person, and they are quick to make and distribute. There is no single law aimed at them in the UK, so protection tends to draw on the same mix of trademarks, passing off, copyright, data protection and contract, alongside platform reporting routes. Well-drafted agreements can also set out what synthetic use is licensed, and what is expressly not permitted.
Who does IProtector work with?
We work with athletes, musicians, actors, sports clubs and their agents, alongside law firms and technology partners on enforcement and licensing. Our role is to map what is owned, protect what can be protected, and help put agreements in place that keep control with the talent.
This page is general information, not legal advice.
See how we can help, or get in touch to talk it through.