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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Philippe Auclair

A footballing deepfake: how Bruno Fernandes fell victim to an unlicensed betting operator

Bruno Fernandes in action for Manchester United
QH88 produced a strikingly realistic AI-generated video of the Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Respect of copyright law has never ranked highly in the list of priorities for unlicensed sports betting operators. Crests of famous clubs and ­photographs of star players are routinely used to promote brands that could not care less about image rights and trademarks, because these operators know any kind of enforcement is impossible.

Illegal gambling platforms ­operate almost exclusively from offshore jurisdictions where the anonymity of their ultimate beneficial owners is protected by local regulations and, to further darken the picture, the use of multiple shell ­companies that exist only as entries on a ­registry hidden from public view.

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