Taylor Swift Pioneers Trademark Protections for Voice and Image Amid AI Deepfake Concerns

In April 2026, Taylor Swift’s company, TAS Rights Management, submitted three trademark applications to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) aiming to protect both her spoken voice and a distinctive visual image from her Eras Tour. These filings include two sound marks featuring Swift saying the phrases “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift” and “Hey, it’s Taylor,” alongside a visual trademark depicting Swift on stage with a pink guitar, wearing an iridescent bodysuit and silver boots. This represents one of the most ambitious celebrity efforts to use trademark law as a defense against AI-generated deepfakes.

Swift’s strategy aligns with a growing trend among public figures seeking to safeguard their personal identity through trademark registration. In March 2026, 19-year-old darts prodigy Luke Littler applied to the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) to register his face as a trademark. Similarly, actor Matthew McConaughey has filed multiple trademark applications at the USPTO to protect his likeness, including a sound mark of his iconic phrase “Alright, alright, alright.” These actions underscore increasing concerns within entertainment and sports industries about unauthorized commercial exploitation of personal images and voices through AI technologies.

Luke Littler gained international recognition in 2024 when he won the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year Award at age 16. By January 2025, at just 17, he became the youngest darts world champion, defeating three-time champion Michael van Gerwen. He repeated this victory in January 2026, beating Dutch player Gian van Veen 7–1 in the final. Littler’s image now appears on a variety of branded products, from dartboards and video games to snack packaging. He has also secured trademark protection for his nickname “the Nuke” in the United States.

Littler’s trademark application is emblematic of a broader movement, with other celebrities like Chelsea footballer Cole Palmer trademarking his autograph, facial image, and the term “Cold Palmer” in October 2025. McConaughey’s eight USPTO trademarks further illustrate the entertainment sector’s proactive stance on controlling personal branding assets amid AI’s rise.

It is crucial to understand the scope of trademark registration in this context. A registered trademark does not grant a general right to prevent all reproductions of one’s face or voice. Instead, it prohibits unauthorized commercial use of the registered mark concerning specified goods and services. These registrations also facilitate licensing agreements by providing celebrities with tangible assets to structure commercial deals.

South African law offers substantive protection for personality rights, with courts consistently ruling that unauthorized commercial use of a person’s image without consent infringes on these rights. However, South Africa does not recognize proprietary rights in a person’s image, likeness, or voice. Consequently, celebrities and athletes increasingly register themselves as trademarks to secure broader commercial protections.

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has directly addressed whether a face can serve as a trademark. In April 2023, PS Holding BV applied to register the face of Dutch model Puck Schrover as a figurative trademark covering modelling and promotional services. Initially refused by the EUIPO Examination Division for lacking distinctiveness, the decision was overturned on appeal, leading to registration.

Similar discussions have arisen around Jeremy Clarkson, though reports suggesting he sought to trademark his face may oversimplify the issue. Clarkson appears to protect stylized or caricatured depictions of his face used in branding, such as those on Hawkstone products or associated with Clarkson’s Farm. These stylized marks are more conventional trademark applications and differ from attempts to register an unaltered photographic portrait.

This distinction is significant. Registering a stylized or caricatured image that conveys distinctiveness is generally more straightforward than registering a standard photographic portrait. Historically, celebrities have found greater success trademarking artwork or design elements integral to their personal brand identity. Traditional trademarks—brand names, logos, slogans, and stylized signatures—remain far more common and face fewer registration hurdles than facial trademarks.

Swift’s April 2026 filings push trademark strategy into new territory. Registering a celebrity’s spoken voice as a trademark is a novel legal approach not yet tested in court. Traditionally, singers relied on copyright law to protect recorded music. However, AI technologies now enable the creation of entirely new content mimicking an artist’s voice without copying existing recordings. Swift’s trademark applications aim to fill this gap by protecting specific voice phrases, potentially allowing her to challenge not only identical reproductions but also confusingly similar imitations—a broader standard under trademark law than copyright’s requirement of actual copying.

Moreover, Swift’s filings highlight the extensive threat posed by deepfake technology. She has been a prominent target of AI misuse; in January 2024, AI-generated sexually explicit images of Swift circulated widely on X (formerly Twitter), with one post reportedly viewed over 47 million times before removal. Her trademark filings represent a proactive legal response to such challenges.

Together, these developments reflect an evolving landscape where celebrities increasingly leverage trademark law to protect personal identity elements against unauthorized commercial exploitation, particularly in the age of AI. As legal frameworks around AI and copyright continue to evolve, trademark registration remains a vital tool for controlling the commercial use of personal images and voices globally.