She has filed applications with the US Intellectual Property Institute to have her voice considered a registered trademark, a similar initiative to that of actor Matthew McConaughey, amid a surge in content created with her help.
The famous singer filed two audio samples before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Each begins with the phrase “Hey, it’s Taylor” and announces the release of her latest album “The Life of a Showgirl” (which was released in early October).
Another document filed with the USPTO on Friday, first spotted by copyright attorney Josh Gerben, is a photo of the artist on stage.
The documents in question do not provide details about this filing. Asked by AFP, Taylor Swift’s publicist declined to comment at this time.
In September 2024, the famous singer had condemned the circulation on the Internet, on the official website of the election campaign of Donald Trump, of a fake photo of herself calling on voters to support the candidacy of the Republican billionaire.
“This reignited my fears related to Artificial Intelligence and the danger of misinformation,” Taylor Swift commented on Instagram at the time.
Artists against uncontrolled TN
In mid-January, the American actor Matthew McConaughey was the first to take such an initiative, appealing to the USPTO, which he presented as a means of protecting his voice from improper use by Artificial Intelligence models.
Many artists express their concern about the uncontrolled use of their image or voice by TN platforms.
US states have enacted laws prohibiting this, but many apply primarily to malicious or commercial use. Only some, notably the ELVIS Act passed by the local legislature in Tennessee in 2024, offer broader protection.
Rare are the examples of actors who went to court to defend their rights. The most notable is that of Scarlett Johansson, who took legal action in 2023 against the Lisa AI app, which had created, without her consent, an AI avatar based on her image for the needs of an advertisement.
