Taylor Swift is making a strategic move to guard her brand, filing trademarks that cover her voice and likeness. As AI tools proceed to blur the road between real and fabricated content, her latest move adds a layer of protection against deepfakes that misrepresent her identity or damage her status.
Swift’s move comes after Matthew McConaughey filed trademark applications for his voice, likeness, and famous catchphrase, signaling a growing trend of high-profile figures taking steps to guard themselves against unauthorized AI use.
On April 24, Taylor Swift’s company, TAS Rights Management, LLC, filed three trademark applications to guard her voice and image, as shared by trademark attorney Josh Gerben on his blog post dated April 27.
Gerben, who isn’t related to the pop star, noted that this move is specifically intended to guard against artificial intelligence amid growing concerns about unauthorized AI-generated content spreading online. Swift has filed three applications: two for her voice and one for her image.
The primary filing has the singer saying, “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift,” while the second says, “Hey, it’s Taylor.” The third trademark filing features a photo taken at one among Swift’s performances throughout the “Eras Tour.” In it, the singer stands in front of a microphone, holding a pink guitar, wearing a sparkling bodysuit and knee-high boots.
The Trademarks Add A Layer Of Protection
As Gerben noted, high-profile individuals are already protected by “Right of Publicity” laws, but filing these trademarks offers “an extra layer of protection.” Singers also depend on copyright law to forestall unauthorized use of their music. Nonetheless, that doesn’t necessarily extend to AI-generated content, and the trademarks may help address that loophole.
Although the trademarks specify a particular phrase and image, Gerben notes that Swift could challenge deepfake content that’s “confusingly similar” to her voice and image. “Theoretically, if a lawsuit were to be filed over an AI using Swift’s voice, she could claim that any use of her voice that seems like the registered trademark violates her trademark rights,” he wrote, adding that the identical goes for Swift’s image trademark.
Taylor Swift Follows Matthew McConaughey’s Lead
In 2025, eight of Matthew McConaughey’s trademark applications were approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, including his voice, image, and even his famous catchphrase, “Alright, alright, alright,” as reported by The Wall Street Journal. “My team and I would like to know that when my voice or likeness is ever used, it’s because I approved and signed off on it,” McConaughey explained, adding that he wants a clearer boundary for “ownership and consent” relating to AI technology.
Filing trademarks to fight against AI, comparable to what McCounaughey and Swift did, is latest and hasn’t been tested in court. Because the actor’s attorney said, “I don’t know what a court will say in the long run. But now we have to not less than test this.” A federal court would want an actual case to check the validity of the legal arguments behind the filings.
Taylor Swift Became A Goal Of Deepfakes
In January 2024, Swift made headlines as sexually explicit deepfake images of her made rounds and went viral on social media platforms. The platforms and anti-abuse groups fought to have the photographs removed, but attributable to Swift’s immense popularity, they spread rapidly and were viewed by tens of millions, per AP News.
The Swifties rallied behind the singer, using the hashtag #ProtectTaylorSwift and posting legitimate, positive photos to drown out the fake ones. Reality Defender, an AI-generated media detection platform, monitored the activity and discovered that about two dozen fake images were spread. “Unfortunately, they spread to tens of millions and tens of millions of users by the point that a few of them were taken down,” Reality Defender’s head of growth stated.
The Pop Star Addressed AI Concerns
Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, an AI-generated image of Swift as Uncle Sam circulated on social media, with the text “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.” Trump reposted the image on his Truth Social account, captioning it, “I accept!”
Swift was alerted to the AI image and took to Instagram to deal with the fake post, saying it brought up her fears about artificial intelligence and the way it could possibly be used to spread misinformation, per NBC News. “It brought me to the conclusion that I must be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The best technique to combat misinformation is the reality,” she said. Swift then urged her followers to vote and endorsed Kamala Harris.