Taylor Swift trademarks voice and image for protection

Taylor Swift has recently applied to trademark her voice and appearance, indicating a proactive stance against potential artificial intelligence impersonations. The pop superstar has filed three trademark applications in the United States, which include a captivating photo of herself from her Eras Tour, along with two audio clips featuring her introducing herself while promoting her latest album. This strategic move follows actor Matthew McConaughey's earlier actions, where he became the first celebrity to utilise trademark regulations to protect his voice and image from misuse by AI.

Graeme Murray, a trademark attorney at the esteemed intellectual property law firm Marks & Clerk, shared insights on Swift’s approach: “As generative AI makes deepfakes and AI generated images a daily reality, Taylor Swift’s move to trademark her voice and stage image marks a pivotal shift from protecting art to protecting identity. By filing for specific audio clips like 'Hey, it’s Taylor' and detailed imagery of her performing with a pink guitar, Swift is following a strategy made famous by Matthew McConaughey to create a clear perimeter around her likeness. In jurisdictions like the UK, where formal personality rights do not yet exist, celebrities like Luke Littler and Cole Palmer are increasingly using trademark law as a shield against unauthorised commercial AI replicas.”

Iona Silverman, an Intellectual Property & Media Partner at the national law firm Freeths, remarked on Swift's initiative: “Taylor Swift is known for taking protection of her intellectual property rights seriously. These most recent trademark applications show that she’s serious about brand control in the age of AI. Trademarks have traditionally protected names, logos and slogans, but we’re now seeing them used much more creatively to police misuse of voice and image where copyright or image rights may fall short. As generative AI makes it easier to create convincing imitations, celebrities and brands alike are looking to trademark law as a practical enforcement tool against increasingly sophisticated digital copies or deepfakes."

However, it is essential to note that the trademark applications filed by Swift protect her voice and image only in the United States, leaving significant gaps in her protection in other global markets. As the landscape of AI technology continues to evolve, the conversation around celebrity rights and identity protection is becoming increasingly vital.