According to The Guardian and Variety, Taylor Swift's TAS Rights Management company has officially submitted three trademark registration applications to regulatory authorities, aiming to prevent the illegal abuse of AI technology by perfecting intellectual property strategies. This move marks a shift from passive copyright defense to more proactive trademark enforcement by top artists in response to the impact of generative AI.
The recent application precisely targets Swift's core personal identifiers. Two of the sound trademarks cover her signature spoken phrases "Hey, it's Taylor Swift" and "Hey, it's Taylor"; the third image trademark is based on her iconic look from the "Eras Tour," clearly defining core visual elements such as "holding a black belt pink guitar and wearing a multicolored reflective bodysuit." This highly detailed patent description aims to establish clear legal protection boundaries for the artist's vocal characteristics and stage image.
Intellectual property lawyer Josh Gerben believes that registering a celebrity's voice as a trademark is a pioneering attempt in this field. Unlike traditional copyright law, which mainly protects published recording assets, trademark law can initiate lawsuits against "confusing" behaviors. This means that even if AI generates entirely new content that has never existed before, as long as its tone and characteristics are likely to mislead the public, the artist can use trademark rights to fill legal gaps and effectively combat various AI imitations and fake endorsements.