Taylor Swift has taken a new legal step to protect her voice and likeness amid growing concerns about artificial intelligence. New trademark filings made on April 24 show Swift is seeking additional safeguards over how her identity can be used, particularly as AI technology advances.
Taylor Swift Files Trademarks to Protect Voice and Identity
GettyTaylor Swift is getting ready to get married to Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, but first, she has some career news.
According to filings made through her company, TAS Rights Management, Swift is seeking protection in several areas directly tied to her identity. Two of the filings focus on “sound marks,” a lesser-known form of trademark protection that covers specific audio elements.
The filings include the phrases “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift,” and “Hey, it’s Taylor,” both tied to her recognizable voice. Swift is also seeking protection for a visual image associated with her recent performances, described as her holding a pink guitar with a black strap while wearing a multicolored bodysuit with silver accents and boots.
Intellectual-property attorney Josh Gerben of Gerben IP first identified the filings and explained their significance. He noted that they reflect a growing concern among entertainers about how artificial intelligence could be used to replicate a person’s voice or likeness without permission.
The move follows a similar strategy used by Matthew McConaughey, whose legal team has explored using trademark law to protect identity in the evolving digital landscape.
Legal Strategy Reflects Growing AI Concerns
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Trademark law hasn’t usually been used to protect someone’s voice or overall likeness. But as AI technology advances, legal teams are looking for new ways to use it.
The idea behind these filings is to add another layer of protection on top of existing “right of publicity” laws, which already limit how someone’s image or identity can be used without permission. Those laws apply at the state level, including in states like New York and California, but trademark cases can be handled in federal court, which has jurisdiction nationwide.
Attorneys working on similar strategies say trademark filings could give public figures another way to challenge AI-generated content that copies their voice or image. By protecting specific phrases or recognizable visuals, they may have a stronger legal argument if their identity is used without approval.
Taylor Swift Continues Chart Success With Latest Album
As Swift prepares to marry Kansas City Chiefs superstar Travis Kelce and is taking steps on the legal front, her music continues to perform strongly. Her latest album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and made history by filling the entire top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 during its release week.
The album has continued to produce chart success in the months since its debut. Her single “Elizabeth Taylor” recently moved into the top 10 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Airplay chart, rising from No. 11 to No. 10.
The track joins two other songs from the album already in the top tier: “Opalite” at No. 8 and “The Fate of Ophelia” at No. 9. With three songs in the top 10 at the same time, Swift became the first artist to achieve that milestone on the Adult Pop Airplay chart, according to Billboard.
The achievement adds to her overall record on the chart, where she now has 35 top 10 hits. That total extends her lead over Maroon 5, which has 28, and Pink, who has 20.
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