Taylor Swift is taking legal action against potential misuse of AI by trademarking her voice and image. As Variety reported earlier Monday, the pop legend filed for three trademarks on Friday: two audio tracks and an image.
The two trademark applications include the vocal phrases “Hey, Taylor Swift” and “Hey, Taylor,” and the images show Swift wearing a rainbow-colored bodysuit in front of a pink stage with a pink guitar suspended from a black strap. Elas tour.
as AI deepfake Swift’s move isn’t all that surprising as it continues to spread across the internet. The singer, one of the most famous people alive, has already dealt with a series of AI-generated hoaxes, including falsely endorsing Donald Trump as a presidential candidate during the 2024 election cycle.
Swift isn’t the only celebrity to make such a move, as Matthew McConaughey trademarked the famous phrase “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay” from the 1993 film Dazed and Confused. McConaughey is More than a few views About what you want to expect from AI.
Swift’s application caught the attention of trademark attorney Josh Gerben, who wrote in a blog post that no celebrity speaking trademark has ever been heard in court before. Music artists typically use copyright to protect their music.
“However, thanks to AI technology, users can now generate entirely new content that mimics an artist’s voice without having to copy existing recordings, creating a gap that trademarks could help fill,” Gerben wrote.
Gebern also said the trademark could be the next weapon in celebrities’ fight against AI. The lawyer explained that having a trademark “prevents people from creating anything that is confusingly similar to a registered trademark.”
Gerben said the “legal theory” behind Swift’s lawsuit is strong and that he looks forward to a lawsuit in which Swift sues AI platforms directly.
Swift did not immediately respond to a request for comment through a spokesperson.
