Iconoclast has teamed up with AI licensing and protection platform Vermillio to monitor and control uses of Tony Bennett’s name, image, voice and likeness across generative AI systems.
The partnership comes as estates and rightsholders face challenges in protecting artists from unauthorized AI reproductions.
Vermillio’s TraceID platform can monitor the internet and public generative AI models, including OpenAI’s Sora, for misuse of name, image, and likeness (NIL) data. The company says that it scans both at the point of creation across major video models and at distribution wherever those AI-generated outputs appear online.
The partnership between Iconoclast, Vermillio and Tony Bennett’s estate seeks to address these issues. The collaboration will use Vermillio’s TraceID technology to scan the internet and AI models for unlicensed uses of Bennett’s likeness while exploring authorized licensing opportunities.
Olivier Chastan, Founder of Iconoclast, said: “Partnering with Vermillio allows us to navigate the evolving technological landscape, preserving Tony’s artistic identity while embracing new, responsible and creative ways to extend his reach.”
“This collaboration sets a precedent for how we can protect and cultivate historically important artists in the digital age.”
Olivier Chastan, Iconoclast
Added Chastan: “This collaboration sets a precedent for how we can protect and cultivate historically important artists in the digital age.”
Bennett, who died in 2023, had an eight-decade career and won 20 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2024, Iconoclast struck a deal for a catalog of music assets of the legendary singer and artist. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but sources told MBW that the transaction was worth below $50 million.
Dan Neely, Co-Founder & CEO of Vermillio, said: “Tony Bennett’s artistry touched so many lives, and now Iconoclast is ensuring that his legacy lives on with integrity and care.
“With TraceID, Iconoclast is leading the way in how estates can manage their intellectual property in the AI era, protecting their legacies while paving the way for new, exciting creative expressions.”
“With TraceID, Iconoclast is leading the way in how estates can manage their intellectual property in the AI era, protecting their legacies while paving the way for new, exciting creative expressions.”
Dan Neely, Vermillio
The companies said that without proper safeguards, Bennett’s name, image and likeness remains vulnerable to misuse.
Vermillio’s TraceID platform monitors generative AI systems for unauthorized uses of protected intellectual property.
The technology tracks where an artist’s data appears and uses blockchain-based smart contracts to manage licensing agreements. Rightsholders can block unauthorized uses while potentially earning revenue from approved AI applications.
The partnership follows Vermillio’s push to work with music industry players. Earlier this year, Vermillio raised $16 million in a Series A funding round led by Sony Music Entertainment and DNS Capital.
Sony Music previously worked with Vermillio on a project with The Orb and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd in collaboration with Legacy Recordings, where fans could “remix” their album and create original artwork.
Vermillio also has a partnership with talent agency WME to protect clients from unauthorized AI uses and help them monetize their likenesses through controlled licensing. Television personality Steve Harvey recently signed on to protect his image from misuse.
The company was named to the annual TIME100 Most Influential Companies. The company made its TraceID platform available for free to users worldwide.
Meanwhile, Iconoclast, founded in 2021 by music executive Olivier Chastan, manages the estates and intellectual property of several artists, including Robbie Robertson of The Band, American actor and musician David Cassidy, and Italian composer Giorgio Moroder.
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