Taylor Swift Files US Trademark Applications to Protect Voice and Likeness From AI-Generated Content
The singer submitted three applications covering her spoken voice and iconic Eras Tour image, following a surge in deepfakes and unauthorized AI content
L'essentiel
- Taylor Swift has filed three US trademark applications to protect her voice and likeness from AI-generated deepfakes and unauthorized use.
- The applications cover audio clips of her voice introducing herself and an iconic image from her Eras Tour in a sparkly bodysuit with a pink guitar.
- The move follows a surge in fake AI content featuring the singer, including manipulated images shared by Donald Trump and sexually explicit deepfakes.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
Taylor Swift is among the most high-profile celebrities to seek trademark protection specifically for her voice and image in response to advances in AI technology that make deepfakes increasingly realistic and accessible. The applications include specific phrases in her spoken voice and an iconic visual from her Eras Tour.
Taylor Swift has applied to trademark her voice and image amid growing concerns around AI-generated content. The Shake It Off singer submitted three applications in the US last week to trademark her voice and likeness, including an image of herself during the Eras tour wearing a sparkly bodysuit and playing a pink guitar, as well as two audio clips of her introducing herself while promoting her most recent album, The Life Of A Showgirl. The move comes following a targeting of Swift through AI-generated content in recent years, including fake clips of her promoting a cookware brand, sexually suggestive deepfakes, and Donald Trump sharing doctored photos of her supporting his run for president. Trademark attorney Josh Gerben said while protecting sound isn't a new concept, involving spoken voice through audio clips hasn't been tested in US courts before. He said the applications could provide her with an "additional layer of protection". "By registering specific phrases tied to her voice, Swift could potentially challenge not only identical reproductions but also imitations that are 'confusingly similar', a key standard in trademark law," he explained. "The image-based filing serves a similar purpose: by protecting a distinctive visual, down to Swift's commonly worn jumpsuit and pose, Swift's team may gain additional grounds to pursue claims against manipulated or AI-generated images that evoke her likeness." Mr Gerben said that historically, artists would either use copyright law to protect their music or right-of-publicity laws to protect their likeness or image, but AI has broken that model. "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. That's where trademarks come in," he said. Swift isn't the only celebrity confronting issues of AI-generated content, as tools become more sophisticated despite AI companies adding guardrails to prevent harmful use. Earlier this year, actor Matthew McConaughey told The Wall Street Journal he had trademarked his voice and image to protect his likeness from unauthorised use by AI.
Questions ouvertes
- Will the trademark applications be approved by the USPTO?
- How will trademark law handle voice imitation vs identical reproduction?
- What specific AI-generated content prompted this action?
