Privacy Law Library

Property Right in Name, Voice, and Visual Likeness (digital replicas)

MT Likeness Rights (HB 513)

Artificial intelligence · Other

HB 513 (Ch. 685, L. 2025) makes a person's name, voice and visual likeness a transferable, descendible property right lasting 20 years after death. It creates liability for commercially publishing AI or other computer-generated voice or visual replicas without consent, and for distributing tools built primarily to make them, with news, commentary, parody and similar First Amendment exceptions.

Where

Montana

Citation

Mont. Code Ann. 30-14-1714

Status

In force

In force since

2026-01-01

Enforced by

Private enforcement by the individual or rights holder

People can sue

Yes

Penalties

Actual damages plus profits from the unauthorized use; 4-year discovery-based limitations period (30-14-1714(4), (9)).

Applies to

• Individuals resident in Montana, or domiciled in Montana at death (30-14-1714(1))
• Persons who distribute tools whose primary purpose is producing unauthorized digital voice or visual depictions of an identified individual, or who knowingly publish such depictions for commercial use (30-14-1714(3))
• Does not apply to broadband internet access service providers (30-14-1714(11))