Pop star Taylor Swift has filed trademark applications covering two audio clips and a photograph of herself, in a move legal experts say is aimed at protecting her identity from increasingly realistic AI-generated deepfakes.
The filings were submitted to the US Patent and Trademark Office on April 24 through Swift’s company, TAS Rights Management, which is listed as the owner of the materials.
In one of the audio clips, Swift is heard promoting her upcoming album The Life Of A Showgirl, saying: “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift, and you can listen to my new album on demand on Amazon Music Unlimited.”
A second clip includes a similar promotional message encouraging fans to presave the album ahead of its October 3 release on Spotify.
The trademark applications also include an image of Swift performing on stage in a sequined outfit while holding a pink guitar.
According to trademark attorney Josh Gerben, who highlighted the filings, the move is designed to strengthen protections against the misuse of her likeness in AI-generated content.
Swift’s voice and image have previously been widely used in AI deepfakes, ranging from fake advertisements and political endorsements to explicit manipulated content.
While existing right-of-publicity laws already offer some protection against unauthorised use of a celebrity’s identity, experts say trademark protection could add an additional legal safeguard in the evolving digital landscape.
Gerben noted that registering a spoken voice as a trademark is a relatively new legal approach that has yet to be tested in court.
He added that while musicians traditionally rely on copyright law to protect recordings, AI tools can now generate entirely new audio that mimics an artist’s voice without copying original material, creating legal gaps that trademarks may help address.
The image included in Swift’s filings is also intended to protect her visual identity, including signature stage outfits and performance poses, which could help her challenge AI-generated images that closely resemble her likeness.
