Taylor Swift has taken a fresh legal step to try to stop artificial intelligence from cloning her public persona, filing trademark applications that aim to shield both her voice and a familiar concert image from unauthorised use. According to AP and other reports, the filings were submitted by her company, TAS Rights Management, and are now awaiting examination by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Two of the applications cover short audio phrases: "Hey, it's Taylor Swift" and "Hey, it's Taylor". The third seeks protection for a stage image associated with her Eras Tour, described in the filing as Swift holding a pink guitar, wearing a multicoloured bodysuit and silver boots. The aim is not simply to block exact copies, but to create a broader basis for challenging lookalike or soundalike content that could mislead fans or consumers.

The move reflects a wider shift in how celebrities are trying to defend their identities as generative AI makes impersonation easier and cheaper. Traditional copyright law is often a poor fit for synthetic replicas, because the problem is not always direct copying of a protected work. Instead, the concern is that a machine-generated voice, pose or likeness can seem close enough to pass as authentic while avoiding the narrow limits of copyright claims.

Legal specialists quoted in the coverage say trademark law may offer a more flexible route because it can reach confusingly similar uses, not just identical reproductions. That matters in an environment where AI tools can produce a convincing fake advertisement, an imitation performance or a fabricated endorsement without ever lifting a single existing recording or photograph. Swift’s filings appear designed to give her team more leverage in seeking takedowns, resisting misuse and pursuing companies that distribute such tools.

The applications also arrive against the backdrop of a broader backlash from public figures over deepfakes and digital impersonation. Reports in The Guardian and other outlets note that the filings follow earlier episodes in which Swift’s image was used in AI-generated material without her consent, underscoring why high-profile figures are increasingly looking for ways to lock down not only songs and albums, but also the small, recognisable details that define their brand.

Source Reference Map

Inspired by headline at: [1]

Sources by paragraph:

Source: Noah Wire Services