BBC World News Interviews Daliah Saper about Taylor Swift’s Use of Trademark Law to Protect her Voice and Image from AI

BBC World News recently interviewed Daliah Saper about Taylor Swift’s push to trademark her voice and image to protect them from AI exploitation.

Daliah explained that celebrities have historically relied on copyright law and right of publicity protections to safeguard their creative works and name image and likeness. What makes Taylor Swift’s most recent trademark filings notable, however, is her effort to add an additional layer of protection by seeking to register her distinct vocal sound as a brand—further strengthening the overall protection of her brand identity.

By seeking trademark protection over her voice and image, Swift is effectively arguing that these elements function as indicators of source, meaning they carry commercial value tied to specific goods or services. This adds an entirely new layer of protection—one that may be easier than attempting to enforce rights through a patchwork of varying state right of publicity laws.

Now, companies developing or deploying AI tools that generate content using Swift’s voice or image could face civil liability on multiple fronts. In addition to misappropriating her likeness under applicable state laws, they may also be infringing on her trademark rights—particularly if the use creates confusion in connection with a commercial product or service.

While Swift’s approach is innovative, Daliah emphasized that it is far more difficult for non-celebrities to replicate.

For trademark protection to apply, a voice or sound must function as a distinctive brand identifier. That means it must be recognizable enough that consumers associate it with a particular source. For most individuals, that level of distinctiveness is difficult to establish.

As Daliah explained, the less unique or recognizable a voice is, the less likely it is that competitors would attempt to imitate it for commercial gain—and, in turn, the less likely it is to qualify for trademark protection.

If you have questions about copyright, trademarks, AI, or related disputes, you can schedule a consultation with Saper Law here.