Taylor Swift has applied to trademark her voice and visual identity in a move that highlights rising concern over AI-driven impersonation. The filings were identified by intellectual property specialist Josh Gerben.
The applications could mark a new legal route for artists trying to stop deepfakes, voice cloning and misleading AI content. They also show how celebrities are seeking broader protection as existing laws face new pressure.
Swift's firm, TAS Rights Management, filed three trademark applications on April 24. Two cover audio marks featuring Swift saying the lines "Hey, it's Taylor Swift" and "Hey, it's Taylor."
A third application covers a signature concert image from her Eras tour. It describes "a photograph of Taylor Swift holding a pink guitar, with a black strap and wearing a multi-colored iridescent bodysuit with silver boots. She is standing on a pink stage in front of a multi-colored microphone with purple lights in the background."
Rising Risk
Unauthorised AI versions of Swift have circulated widely, including through tools linked with Meta and in pornographic images shared online. During the 2024 United States presidential election campaign, Donald Trump posted manipulated images that falsely suggested Swift had endorsed him.
Writing on his blog on Monday, Gerben reviewed how the trademark filings may be used to protect Swift's identity rights. He noted that he is not representing any party connected to the applications.
Gerben said the filings reflect growing concern in the entertainment industry that AI could weaken artists' ability to protect their identity and voice.
"Attempting to register a celebrity's spoken voice is a new use of trademark registration that has not been tested in court before," he wrote.
Legal Shift
"Historically, artists haven't used trademark law this way. Under US law, songs are protected by copyright. And someone's likeness or image is protected by 'Right of Publicity' laws. But AI has broken that model," he added.
Unlike copyright, which usually focuses on direct copying, trademark law can also apply to material that closely resembles a protected mark and may confuse audiences. Gerben said that makes it more relevant in an AI-driven environment.
"So locking up phrases like 'Hey, it's Taylor Swift' and 'Hey, it's Taylor' isn't just about those phrases. It's about the voice itself. If anyone creates anything using that voice with AI, Taylor and her legal team could argue it violates her trademark rights," he wrote.
Swift's move follows similar action involving Matthew McConaughey. In 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted the actor eight trademarks covering his signature "Alright, alright, alright!" line, along with recorded audio and video material.
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