Taylor Swift Trademarks Her Voice Amid the Threat of AI Fakes
An unexpected move
Artists usually protect their music through copyright law, but copyright safeguards only the song itself — not the performer’s voice. In an effort to prevent the use of her voice or likeness in videos generated by artificial intelligence, Taylor Swift has reportedly filed trademark applications for several of her signature phrases.
The filing covers audio clips of the singer saying, «Hi, this is Taylor Swift,» as well as an image of her wearing concert attire while holding a guitar. Registering these trademarks would allow Taylor Swift to challenge imitations or request the removal of AI-generated fakes from the internet if they are deemed too similar to her personal brand.
A trademark is typically associated with a brand logo or a distinctive sound, which makes the registration of ordinary spoken phrases a rather unconventional move on the singer’s part.
Taylor Swift appears to be turning her voice into a protected brand asset in order to prevent future unauthorized use of her voice, image, or recognisable identity.
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