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Taylor Swift Files Trademarks for Voice Clips and Image to Protect Likeness
Taylor Swift's company submitted three trademark applications to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on April 24, 2026, covering audio clips of her voice and a promotional photograph. The filings aim to safeguard her voice and image amid rising AI concerns. Similar protections were pursued by actor Matthew McConaughey earlier in the year.
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U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on April 24, 2026. The third application is for a photograph of Swift holding a pink guitar with a black strap and wearing a multi-colored iridescent bodysuit with silver boots on a pink stage in front of a multi-colored microphone with purple lights in the background.
Another clip has her stating: 'Hey, it’s Taylor. These clips were recorded for Spotify and Amazon Music to promote Swift's album 'The Life of a Showgirl,' which was released in early October 2025. The photograph was used as one of the official promotional photos for the Disney+ film of Swift's Eras Tour.
Intellectual property attorney Josh Gerben first publicized the trademark applications on his blog on April 27, 2026. Gerben stated that the filings are designed to protect Swift from threats posed by artificial intelligence, adding that registering a celebrity’s spoken voice is a new use of trademark registration that has not been tested in courts.
Actor Matthew McConaughey had similar trademark filings for his voice and image approved earlier in 2026.
McConaughey trademarked his catchphrase 'All right, all right, all right' from the 1993 film Dazed and Confused. ' followed by additional short phrases. Swift owns more than 50 trademarks related to her name, album titles, and key song lyrics.
In 2024, Swift trademarked 'Female Rage: The Musical,' referring to an Eras Tour segment performing songs from her album The Tortured Poets Department. Tennessee passed the ELVIS Act in 2024, offering broader protections against unauthorized use of image and voice. U.S.
States have passed laws prohibiting unauthorized use of image and voice by AI platforms, though many apply primarily to malicious or commercial exploitation. Scarlett Johansson sued the app Lisa AI in 2023 for creating an AI avatar in her likeness for use in an advertisement without her consent.
