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The Guardian World1 min read
Taylor Swift files trademarks for voice and image amid concern over AI misuse
TL;DR
Taylor Swift has filed trademark applications for her voice and image to protect against AI misuse. The trademarks include sound phrases and a specific photograph from her Eras Tour.
Key points
- Taylor Swift filed trademark applications on April 24.
- The trademarks include sound phrases she says.
- One trademark is for a specific photograph from her Eras Tour.
- The move follows Matthew McConaughey's trademark of his catchphrase.
- The applications aim to protect against AI misuse.
Mentioned in this story
Taylor SwiftMatthew McConaughey
Taylor Swift has filed applications to trademark her voice and image in a move seemingly designed to protect against AI misuse.
On 24 April, Swift’s company TAS Rights Management filed three trademark applications, Variety reports. Two of these are sound trademarks which cover Swift saying the phrases “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift” and “Hey, it’s Taylor.”
The third application seeks to trademark the well-known shot of Swift on stage during her Eras Tour, describing “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.”
The move comes after Matthew McConaughey trademarked his famous “All right, all right, all right” catchphrase from 1993’s Dazed and Confused in addition to other unauthorized uses of his image and voice this January.
“My team and I want to know that when my voice or likeness is ever used, it’s because I approved and signed off on it,” McConaughey said in a statement. “We want to create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world.”
Swift’s likeness has been used in many AI images and deepfakes, including fake AI-created sexually explicit images. In 2024, Donald Trump posted numerous AI images to Truth Social that falsely showed Swift endorsing him for president. The Guardian has approached a representative for Swift for comment.
“Attempting to register a celebrity’s spoken voice is a new use of trademark registration that has not been tested in court before,” said the intellectual property attorney Josh Gerben in a .
Q&A
What trademarks did Taylor Swift file for?
Taylor Swift filed trademarks for her voice, including specific phrases, and a photograph of her during the Eras Tour.
Why is Taylor Swift filing for trademarks related to AI?
Swift's trademark applications aim to protect her voice and image from unauthorized use in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.
How does Matthew McConaughey's trademark filing relate to Taylor Swift's?
Matthew McConaughey's recent trademark of his catchphrase highlights a trend among celebrities to secure rights over their likeness and voice amid concerns over AI misuse.
