Today, intellectual property and related rights apply to almost any content we make. Most rights do not need to be registered to apply; they arise when new content is created. Rights also last a very long time. For example, copyright can last for the lifetime of the creator plus seventy years after their death.
For these reasons, it is safe to assume that most of the content you come across (like text, images or sound) is protected and that the rights are owned by their creators. You will need their permission to use their voice or content for cloning. You may not need to get permission from other creators if you are voice cloning for study or research, education, parody or satire, quotation, criticism or review or contribute to public debates. This exception does not apply if you receive a commercial benefit from your voice clone, or impact creators’ economic interests.
Keep in mind that someone’s voice can be regarded as their personal data by the law. Someone’s personal data can be used with their consent or in the pursuit of a legitimate interest (like contributing to public debates) if you do not interfere with their privacy. Content which is not protected by law can be reused freely, including for voice cloning.
This type of content is also known as content “in the public domain” or “public domain” content.
Content in the public domain will include:
- materials which were not protected by law in the first place (like ideas, facts or
unoriginal content) - materials for which the protection has expired.
- materials dedicated to the public domain by their creators.
You can find public domain materials through digital archives and databases available
online. Look up platforms like Creative Commons Archives or LibriVox for sound and text
that are free to reuse.