NEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Swift has taken a proactive legal step by filing three new trademark applications with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. According to legal experts, this move is likely aimed at safeguarding her voice and image from potential misuse through artificial intelligence technologies.
Details of the Trademark Applications
The applications, submitted on Friday, include two sound trademarks covering her voice. One features her saying “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift,” while the other is “Hey, it’s Taylor.” The third application is for a visual trademark, described as “a photograph of Taylor Swift holding a pink guitar, with a black strap and wearing a multicolored iridescent bodysuit with silver boots. She is standing on a pink stage in front of a multicolored microphone with purple lights in the background.”
These filings were made on behalf of Swift’s TAS Rights Management. All three applications have been approved and are currently awaiting assignment to an examining attorney. The Associated Press reached out to a representative for Swift and Rebecca Liebowitz, a partner at law firm Venable who is listed as the attorney on the filings, but requests for comment were not immediately returned.
Expert Analysis on AI Protection
News of Swift’s trademark filings gained attention on Monday after intellectual property attorney Josh Gerben highlighted them in a blog post. Gerben theorized that the trademarks are “specifically designed to protect Taylor from threats posed by artificial intelligence,” addressing growing concerns that AI could undermine celebrities’ control over their voices and likenesses. He explained that while “Right of Publicity” laws offer some protection against unauthorized use for commercial purposes, trademark filings like Swift’s can provide additional legal safeguards.
Swift has previously been a target of AI misuse. Pornographic deepfake images of her circulated online, making her one of the most famous victims of this issue. Additionally, she was depicted in a fake endorsement of former President Donald Trump during his 2024 campaign, which Trump reposted as genuine.
Broader Trend Among Celebrities
Swift is not alone in pursuing such trademarks. In January, actor Matthew McConaughey secured eight trademarks from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, including a sound mark of his catchphrase “Alright, alright, alright.” His attorneys at Yorn Levine told Variety that these filings aimed to protect his voice and likeness from unauthorized AI use and to explore new opportunities with AI. Last year, McConaughey partnered with voice-cloning company ElevenLabs to allow its AI technology to replicate his voice.
