Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Apr 27
Taylor Swift files three new trademarks to protect against AI misuse
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Apr 27

Taylor Swift files three new trademarks to protect against AI misuse

3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Apr 27

Summary

  • Swift’s applications, filed with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, include two sound trademarks and one visual, all now approved and awaiting attorney assignment.
  • Legal experts say these filings aim to strengthen protection of Swift’s voice and image from unauthorized AI-generated use, supplementing existing Right of Publicity laws.
  • Swift has previously been targeted by AI deepfakes and fake endorsements, prompting this move; other celebrities, like Matthew McConaughey, have also filed similar trademarks to address AI-related threats.

Insights

Could trademarking your voice stifle artistic parody and free speech in the new digital age?
If celebrities can trademark their voices, what protections exist for the average person against AI clones?
Beyond celebrities, could trademarking your identity soon become a necessary part of everyday digital life?
Will AI companies now be forced to pay for every voice and face used to train their models?
How will courts decide when an AI-generated voice is illegally 'confusingly similar' to a human's?