BLEDSOE’S RIGHT OF PUBLICITY ACT PASSES SENATE
Senate Bill 7 protects individuals from unauthorized image use
FRANKFORT, KY (March 5, 2025)—The Kentucky Senate has passed Senate Bill 7, known as the Right of Publicity Act. This legislation, sponsored by Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, R-Lexington, establishes a cause of action and allows Kentucky victims to be liable for damages in cases of the unauthorized commercial use of their unclothed likeness.
“This is about personal dignity, privacy, and control,” Bledsoe said. “Technology moves faster than the law, and artificial intelligence has made it possible to fabricate completely false images with terrifying accuracy. No Kentuckian—not a public figure, not an ordinary citizen, and certainly not a child—should have to fight to reclaim ownership of their likeness.”
Image is defined to include a computer-generated image as described in Kentucky Revised Statutes 5311.010, which is a visual depiction, including any photograph, film, video, or picture, where the depiction has been created, adapted, or modified by a computer to appear to be an identifiable person.
The bill prohibits the commercial use of an individual’s image of “unclothed body” without explicit consent and extends protections to both living and deceased individuals. It restricts unauthorized advertising, merchandise, or fundraising use while excluding legitimate journalistic, artistic, and entertainment works. The bill does not impose liabilities on cloud service providers, general purpose search engines, internet service providers, or their affiliates or subsidiaries
The bill also aligns with national efforts to combat AI-driven exploitation. First Lady Melania Trump has called for federal action against deepfake pornography and image-based abuse.
“I want to state clearly—and I think we all should—a sincere thank you to First Lady Melania Trump for using her platform to bring this issue to the forefront. Our laws, state and federal, must evolve to meet the threats of today’s digital landscape,” Bledsoe said. “Kentucky has led the way on privacy protections, from revenge porn laws to legislation targeting sextortion. With the Right of Publicity Act, we continue that leadership by ensuring Kentuckians retain control over their image.”
Senate Bill 7 now advances to the House for consideration.
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Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, R-Lexington, represents the 12th Senate District, including Boyle, Mercer, and Woodford Counties and part of Fayette County. She serves as vice chair of both the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee and the Senate Families and Children Committee. Additionally, Bledsoe is an ex officio member of various budget review subcommittees, including Health and Family Services; Education; Justice; General Government and Economic Development; and Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. She co-chairs the Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity statutory committee and is a member of the Licensing and Occupations Committee, the State and Local Government Committee, and the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight statutory committee. In 2024, she co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence Task Force and served on the 2024-26 Budget Preparation and Submission statutory committee.
Visit https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators%20Full%20Res%20Images/senate112.jpg for a high-resolution .jpeg of Bledsoe.
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