Trademark applications are a relatively new way for celebrities to combat the growing issue of AI rip-offs.
The photo chosen to represent Swift’s image shows her on stage “holding a pink guitar, with a black strap and wearing a multi-colored iridescent bodysuit with silver boots”, according to the trademark application.
It has previously been used as one of the official promotional photos for the Disney+ film of the Eras tour.
She has also applied to trademark audio of herself saying “Hey, it’s Taylor” and “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift” from clips she recorded for Spotify and Amazon Music to promote her album The Life of a Showgirl last autumn.
Even if the photo and sound clips aren’t copied directly, registering their trademarks could allow her to stop AI using her image and voice more generally, according to trademark lawyer Josh Gerben, who first published details of the applications on his blog, external.
“By registering specific phrases tied to her voice, Swift could potentially challenge not only identical reproductions, but also imitations that are ‘confusingly similar,’ a key standard in trademark law,” he wrote.
“Theoretically, if a lawsuit were to be filed over an AI using Swift’s voice, she could claim that any use of her voice that sounds like the registered trademark violates her trademark rights.
“Same with the image filing. If someone creates an AI-generated version of Taylor in a jumpsuit with a guitar, or something close to it, now Swift has a federal trademark claim.”