Bilibili's patent wall. [Photo/WeChat ID: sh_drc]
Shanghai has completed IP registration for an audio data product featuring a fully virtual singer, advancing digital asset protection amid rapid AI development.
On Sept 2, the Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration issued Shanghai Bilibili Technology Co Ltd a data product IP registration certificate for the "Luo Tianyi Audio Dataset".
Luo Tianyi, launched in Shanghai in 2012, uses speech synthesis to produce vocals and has expanded from music production to stage performances and livestreaming. The registered dataset was developed from her distinctive vocal data through collection, annotation and calibration.
Chen Huiqing, deputy director of the Yangpu District Administration for Market Regulation, said the dataset has originality and commercial value and meets registration requirements for "substantial processing" and "innovative labor" under Shanghai's interim measures.
As generative AI advances, concerns have grown over the cloning and unauthorized use of virtual voices. Under relevant judicial precedents, an IP registration certificate can serve as preliminary evidence that data-related property rights belong to the rightsholder and that the data was legally collected or sourced.
Zhu Yao, senior legal director of Bilibili, said the company plans to register a more detailed "speech corpus unit database" for Luo Tianyi, exploring tiered protection for virtual-figure audio data.
