Taylor Swift Files Trademark for Voice and Likeness Amid AI Concerns

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Look what you made Taylor Swiftdo.

Taylor Swift recently filed trademarks for three of her phrases with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office on April 24th, likely to protect her brand, according to TopMob News.

Taylor Swift has trademarked aspects of her Eras Tour, including her voice and image. The trademarks, filed through her company TAS Rights Management, cover both recordings of her voice and a photograph of her performing live.

Taylor Swift’s representatives have applied for trademark protection for two phrases used as soundmarks: “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift” and the shorter version, “Hey, it’s Taylor.”

The visual trademark features an image from Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert film on Disney+. It shows Swift performing on stage, holding a pink guitar with a black strap, and wearing a colorful, shimmering bodysuit with silver boots, according to the trademark application.

The description notes she’s standing on a pink stage, performing in front of a rainbow-colored microphone, with purple lights illuminating the background.

Taylor Swift seems to be taking steps to safeguard her identity as concerns grow about how artificial intelligence (AI) is being misused. Her image has already appeared in several AI-generated fakes without her consent, including on Meta’s AI chatbots, in inappropriate images, and even falsely appearing to endorse Donald Trump in the 2024 election, according to Variety.

Taylor Swift voiced her worries about the potential impact of AI, especially with the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaching, in a post on Instagram.

I recently found out that AI was used to create posts falsely claiming I support Donald Trump’s campaign, and they were published on his website. This really highlighted my concerns about AI and the potential for it to spread false information. Because of this, I feel it’s important to be clear about who I’m actually voting for. The best way to fight misinformation is to share the truth.

Taylor Swift isn’t alone in trying to prevent the unauthorized use of AI. Earlier this year, Matthew McConaughey also took steps to protect his image by filing eight trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

 

He explained that now, anyone can easily create a digital imitation of an artist’s voice, make it say whatever they want, and share it widely. What’s concerning is that this imitation doesn’t even need to be perfect to cause problems.

Honestly, it’s amazing how seriously they take branding! Gerben explained that trademarks aren’t just about someone flat-out copying something, like with copyright. It’s way bigger than that! They can stop anything that even looks like their brand, if it could confuse people. He said that makes trademarks a super powerful tool, especially now with all this AI stuff popping up – it’s like they’re protecting their entire vibe, not just the exact thing! I just think it’s brilliant, honestly. They’re really thinking ahead.

The trademarks cover the actor’s image of smiling and saying his famous line, “Alright, Alright, Alright,” which he first used in the 1993 film Dazed and Confused. They also include audio of him saying, “Just keep livin’, right? I mean, what are we gonna do?”

The star of Dallas Buyers Club explained his concerns earlier this year in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. He stated that he and his team want to ensure his voice and image are only used with his explicit permission, and that proper credit is given. They aim to establish clear rules about ownership and consent as AI technology advances.

Intellectual property lawyer Josh Gerben, of Gerben IP, shared a similar view when talking about Taylor Swift’s trademark application and what it could mean, emphasizing that he has no connection to her or her team.

Okay, so I’ve been following this closely, and apparently Taylor isn’t just protecting her music – she’s doing something totally new with trademarks! This legal expert, Gerben, wrote about it, and basically, artists used to rely on copyright for songs and ‘Right of Publicity’ to protect their image. But AI is messing with all of that! Taylor’s filings are showing everyone that trademarks can be used to fight back against AI-generated stuff, which is a HUGE deal. It’s like, she’s pioneering a whole new way for artists to protect themselves, and honestly, it’s brilliant. I’m so impressed she’s thinking ahead like this!

 

He explained that it’s now incredibly easy for anyone to create a digital imitation of an artist’s voice, make it say whatever they want, and share it widely. What’s concerning is that even an imperfect imitation can be harmful.

That’s where trademarks become important, Gerben explained. Unlike copyright, trademark law doesn’t just protect against exact copies. It prevents anything that’s close enough to a registered trademark to cause confusion. This gives trademark owners a stronger and wider-reaching protection, which is especially valuable as AI technology develops.

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2026-04-27 21:28