Story perspectives

Taylor Swift Files Trademarks to Guard Voice, Image from AI

4/28/2026

Summary

Taylor Swift Trademarks

Taylor Swift filed three trademark applications on April 24, 2026, to protect her voice and image.
She seeks sound marks for the phrases “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift” and “Hey, it’s Taylor.”
A third filing requests a trademark for a concert photo showing Swift with a pink guitar and bodysuit.
Attorney Josh Gerben said the marks could let Swift block AI content confusingly similar, a strategy echoed by Matthew McConaughey’s voice trademark.

Summary

Congress Reviews AI

Congress is reviewing the NO FAKES Act to combat AI deepfakes.
YouTube partnered with talent agencies to give celebrities a deep-fake detection tool.
Scarlett Johansson’s 2023 lawsuit stopped an AI app from using her likeness, leading OpenAI to drop a model in 2024.
Over 700 creators joined the “Stealing Isn’t Innovation” campaign urging stricter AI safeguards.
Taylor Swift’s post linked AI deepfakes to election misinformation and endorsed Kamala Harris.

Summary

Swift Trademark Fight

Maren Wade sued Taylor Swift in March 2026, alleging 2025 album “The Life of a Showgirl” infringed Wade’s “Confessions of a Showgirl” trademark.
The USPTO denied Swift’s “Life of a Showgirl” trademark for performances, noting confusion with Wade’s mark.
After the denial, Swift limited her trademark to specific spoken phrases and a concert photo.
Experts say the dispute may affect how trademark claims intersect state right-of-publicity laws in AI cases.

History

Historical Context

In 1998 Disney secured a $1.5 million trademark judgment over unauthorized Mickey Mouse use, citing its 1955 registration and the newly enacted Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. The ruling echoed the Supreme Court’s 2003 Eldred v. Ashcroft upholding of that act. Now, with the NO FAKES Act under review and YouTube adding deep-fake detectors, similar enforcement looms for AI-generated likenesses of Taylor Swift and Scarlett Johansson.

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Taylor Swift Trademarks

Taylor Swift filed three trademark applications on April 24, 2026, to protect her voice and image.
She seeks sound marks for the phrases “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift” and “Hey, it’s Taylor.”
A third filing requests a trademark for a concert photo showing Swift with a pink guitar and bodysuit.
Attorney Josh Gerben said the marks could let Swift block AI content confusingly similar, a strategy echoed by Matthew McConaughey’s voice trademark.

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