Taylor Swift files trademarks for her voice and image
Swift filed three U.S. trademark applications covering two vocal phrases and a performance image to challenge AI-generated fakes and unauthorized impersonations.
Taylor Swift’s company, TAS Rights Management, filed three trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Friday. Two applications seek sound trademarks for the phrases ‘Hey, it’s Taylor Swift’ and ‘Hey, it’s Taylor.’ The third seeks a visual trademark for a specific image of Swift performing on stage.
The filings ask the USPTO to treat the vocal phrases and the performance image as trademarks when those elements are used in commerce, such as on merchandise or in promotional material. Kirk Sigmon, founding partner at KellDann Law, noted: ‘Very broadly, trademarks can be used to protect distinctive sounds and visuals and the name, image, and likeness of an individual insofar as it’s used in conjunction with goods or services.’ He added the filings could help challenge commercial uses that imply endorsement.
The applications come after repeated incidents in which AI tools produced manipulated images and audio of Swift. In 2024 fabricated images circulated online claiming Swift and her fans supported a presidential candidate; Swift later endorsed a different candidate. In 2025 an AI chatbot generated nude images of Swift despite platform rules banning pornographic depictions of real people.
Actor Matthew McConaughey obtained U.S. trademark protections earlier this year for his signature line ‘alright, alright, alright.’ Legal experts describe the use of trademark registrations to address AI impersonations as an emerging strategy in the entertainment industry.
Kirk Sigmon warned that enforcing trademark rights against anonymous creators on the open internet may be difficult. He said enforcement will be more straightforward against identifiable commercial actors, such as companies or sellers implying an official endorsement, than against anonymous or decentralized creators.
The USPTO will review the applications to determine whether the phrases and image meet the agency’s standards for trademark protection. If approved, the registrations would give Swift additional legal grounds to request takedowns or pursue action against commercial uses that falsely imply her involvement or endorsement.
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