Full Breakdown
Taylor Swift Seeks Trademarks to Shield Voice and Image from AI Deepfakes
4/30/2026, 10:55:59 AM
Trademark Filings Target AI Misuse
On April 24, 2024, Taylor Swift’s company TAS Rights Management, LLC filed USPTO applications. Two sound marks protect recordings of Swift saying “Hey, it’s Taylor” and “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift.” The third seeks a visual mark for a photo of Swift holding a pink guitar, wearing an iridescent bodysuit and silver boots—an Eras Tour image. The filings include Swift’s signed consent to register her likeness, voice and signature as trademarks.
Legal Context, Precedent, and Stakeholders
Trademark law protects identifiers; right-of-publicity statutes guard against unauthorized commercial use of a person’s image. Attorney Josh Gerben says a voice trademark adds a tool to block “confusingly similar” AI reproductions. Actor Matthew McConaughey filed eight marks, including his catchphrase “Alright, alright, alright,” and licensed his voice to ElevenLabs, showing an approach. The key parties are Swift, TAS Rights Management, Gerben, Representatives Joe Morelle and Yvette Clarke, and the USPTO.
Deepfake Incidents and Their Impact
Since 2023, AI tools have produced pornographic images of Swift that led X to block searches for her name in 2024, and a fabricated video falsely showing her endorsing Donald Trump that candidate shared in his 2024 campaign. Lawmakers label these cases sexual exploitation and misinformation, prompting industry measures such as YouTube’s AI likeness detection and Spotify’s opt-in release-approval feature to curb unauthorized AI content.
Official Statements
Josh Gerben said the filings are “specifically designed to protect Taylor from threats posed by artificial intelligence.” Rep. Joe Morelle called the spread of AI-generated images of Swift “appalling.” Rep. Yvette Clarke warned “affects women everywhere, every day.”
Conflicting Reports
Some sources say the trademarks have been approved and await examiner assignment; other reports note only the filing stage without confirmation of approval.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Now, anyone can spin up a version of an artist's voice, have it say anything, attach it to anything, and distribute it at scale. And the scary part? It doesn't have to be an exact copy to cause damage,” — Josh Gerben, Intellectual Property Attorney
- “It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” — Taylor Swift, Singer-Songwriter
- “The spread of AI-generated explicit images of Taylor Swift is appalling — and sadly, it’s happening to women everywhere, every day.” — Rep. Joe Morelle, U.S. Representative (NY)
- “What’s happened to Taylor Swift is nothing new. For yrs, women have been targets of deepfakes w/o their consent. And w/ advancements in AI, creating deepfakes is easier & cheaper.” — Rep. Yvette Clarke, U.S. Representative (NY)
Future Outlook
USPTO’s final ruling will decide whether Swift can enforce the marks against AI reproductions. Observers expect more celebrity trademark filings and updates to right-of-publicity and trademark law to address AI-generated content.
