Taylor Swift has taken a significant step to protect her identity by filing three trademark applications with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, aiming to shield her voice and image from unauthorized AI-generated content.
The filings, submitted on April 24 through Swift's TAS Rights Management, include two sound marks for the catchphrases "Hey, it's Taylor Swift" and "Hey, it's Taylor," as well as a visual trademark for a photograph of her performing on the Eras Tour. The image, used to promote the Eras Tour concert film on Disney+, shows Swift on stage holding a pink guitar with a black strap, wearing a multicolored iridescent bodysuit and silver boots.
This move comes amid growing concerns about AI misuse. Swift's likeness has appeared in unauthorized AI-generated content, including Meta's AI chatbots, deepfake pornographic images, and a 2024 political endorsement shared by former President Donald Trump, as reported by Variety. The singer previously voiced her fears about AI in an Instagram post ahead of the 2024 U.S. election, writing, "It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation."
Swift is not alone in taking legal action. Matthew McConaughey filed eight trademark applications earlier this year to protect his likeness, including his signature phrases "Alright, Alright, Alright" and "Just keep livin', right?"
Intellectual-property attorney Josh Gerben noted that these filings reflect a broader trend. "Artists haven't used trademark law this way historically," he said in a blog post. "AI has broken that model. Now, anyone can spin up a version of an artist's voice, have it say anything, attach it to anything, and distribute it at scale. Trademark law doesn't just stop identical uses; it stops anything that is confusingly similar."