Taylor Swift has filed applications with the US Intellectual Property Office to register her voice as a trademark, a move similar to that made by actor Matthew McConaughey, as AI-generated content rises.
Taylor Swift is trademarking her voice
The singer filed two audio recordings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Two are related to the audio brands that cover her voice: one is “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift”, the other is “Hey, it’s Taylor” and announces the release of her latest album “The Life of a Showgirl” which was released in early October.This comes shortly after Swift’s image was used without permission in several fake AI products, including Meta’s chatbots, and in pornographic images circulated online.
Additionally, in the lead-up to the 2024 US presidential election, Donald Trump shared AI-generated photos of the singer inaccurately suggesting that Swift endorsed Trump.Another document filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office on Friday was a photo of the artist on stage. The applications were first spotted by intellectual property attorney Josh Gerbin.The filings do not provide any further details about the submission.Taylor Swift’s publicist and representatives, Rebecca Lebowitz, a partner at the law firm Venable who is listed on the trademark filings, have not yet provided comment.
In recent years, Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey has filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office, seeking protection against unauthorized use of his voice by artificial intelligence models. It includes audio of him saying “Okay, okay, okay!” — a memorable line from the 1993 film “Dazed and Confused” — as well as an audio clip of him saying “Just keep living, eh?” Followed by additional short phrases.
Indian celebrities given protection from unauthorized use of artificial intelligence
Many artists are increasingly concerned about the uncontrolled use of their image and voice by artificial intelligence platforms.Several prominent Indian celebrities have taken legal and preventive steps to protect their persona and publicity rights amid growing concerns over misuse, including voice cloning using artificial intelligence.Playback legends Kumar Sanu and Asha Bhosle were among those who sought protection from unauthorized audio reproduction by artificial intelligence that mimics their signature singing styles.Actor Anil Kapoor was granted a ‘blanket injunction’ in 2023, protecting his voice, likeness, image, and even his catchphrase ‘Jhakaas’ from unauthorized commercial use.Likewise, Amitabh Bachchan approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection against unauthorized commercial exploitation of his name, image and voice. The court ruled that the actor’s name, image and voice could not be used without permission, and ordered the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, along with telecom service providers, to remove the reported content. “It cannot be seriously disputed that the plaintiff is a well-known personality and is also represented in various advertisements,” Justice Naveen Chawla observed, noting that the actor is “aggrieved” by those who use his celebrity status to promote goods and services without authorisation.Recently, the Delhi High Court passed an interim order in favor of Allu Arjun, restraining multiple parties from using his name, likeness, voice or likeness without consent, thus strengthening the legal recognition of personality rights.Several US states have passed laws prohibiting such use, although many apply primarily to malicious or commercial exploitation.Only a few — notably the ELVIS Act passed by the Tennessee Legislature in 2024 — provide broader protections.A few performers have resorted to the courts to claim their rights. The most notable example of this is Scarlett Johansson, who filed a lawsuit against the Lisa AI app in 2023 because it created, without her consent, an AI avatar that resembled her for use in an advertisement.
