Taylor Swift has taken legal steps to protect her voice and image amid growing concerns about artificial intelligence impersonations. The pop superstar recently applied to trademark her appearance and voice in the United States, aiming to prevent unauthorized AI-generated content that mimics her likeness.
Taylor Swift applies to trademark her voice and image
Swift submitted three trademark applications: one for a photo of herself on stage during her Eras Tour, and two for audio clips of her voice. The image features Swift holding a pink guitar with a black strap, wearing a multi-colored iridescent bodysuit and silver boots. This photo has been used as an official promotional image for the Disney+ film documenting the Eras Tour.
The audio trademarks cover two short clips of Swift introducing herself by saying “Hey, it’s Taylor” and “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift.” These clips were recorded last autumn for Spotify and Amazon Music to promote her album The Life of a Showgirl.
Context and implications of the trademark applications
AI-generated versions of Taylor Swift have appeared in various forms in recent years, including explicit images and a fabricated election advertisement where she seemed to endorse Donald Trump. These incidents have raised concerns about the misuse of her image and voice through AI technology.
Trademarking her voice and image could provide Swift with legal grounds to challenge not only exact copies but also imitations that are “confusingly similar,” according to trademark lawyer Josh Gerben. He explained that if someone creates an AI-generated version of Swift that resembles the trademarked photo or uses her voice in a way that sounds like the registered phrases, she could potentially file a federal trademark claim.
This approach follows a precedent set earlier this year when actor Matthew McConaughey became the first celebrity to use trademark law to protect his voice and image from AI misuse. Trademark applications are becoming a new tool for celebrities to combat the increasing problem of AI-generated impersonations.