Taylor Swift Seeks Trademarks for Voice and Likeness amid Deepfake Concerns

The first wave of major stars are taking a stand against AI-generated content.

Taylor Swift has applied to register her voice and likeness as federal trademarks in the United States, in what appears to be an effort to guard against the growing threat of AI-generated deepfakes.

The move follows a series of incidents in which the artist has been targeted by manipulated content. In 2024, the social media platform X temporarily blocked searches for her name after explicit deepfake images circulated widely online, making her one of the most high-profile victims of the technology.

The trademark filings, first identified by intellectual property lawyer Josh Gerben, include audio clips of Swift saying “Hey, it’s Taylor” and “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift”. They also cover a promotional image from her Eras Tour showing the singer holding a pink guitar while wearing an iridescent bodysuit and silver boots.

Documents submitted on 24 April to the United States Patent and Trademark Office list TAS Rights Management LLC as the owner. The filings include Swift’s signed consent allowing her “likeness (including but not limited to signature, voice and image)” to be registered as a trademark in the US and internationally.

The applications come as advances in artificial intelligence have made it increasingly easy to create convincing deepfakes of public figures. Swift has been repeatedly targeted by such content.

In response to the 2024 incident, US lawmakers condemned the spread of explicit material. Congressman Joe Morelledescribed the images as “sexual exploitation”, adding that similar abuse affects women more broadly.

Another New York representative, Yvette Clarke, said the case highlighted a wider issue. She noted that women have long been targeted by non-consensual deepfakes and warned that advances in AI have made such content “easier and cheaper” to produce.

Both lawmakers called for bipartisan action, suggesting the issue is one that “both sides of the aisle” should work together to address.