Singer Taylor Swift is the latest in a long line of celebrities leveraging IP protection to safeguard their personal brands, according to leading law firm Clarke Willmott.
The pop superstar recently applied to trademark her voice and appearance in an apparent attempt to protect herself from artificial intelligence impersonations.
She lodged three trademark applications in the US - one using a photo of herself on stage during her Eras Tour and the other two being audio clips of her introducing herself while promoting her last album.
Various AI-generated versions of Taylor Swift have appeared in recent years, from explicit images to a fake election ad in which she appeared to urge people to vote for Donald Trump.
Earlier this year actor Matthew McConaughey became the first celebrity to use trademark rules to attempt to protect his voice and image from AI misuse, while several leading sports stars are also using IP to protect their brands.
Footballer Gareth Bale was a pioneer in this area, trademarking his heart-shaped goal celebration back in 2013, and darts world number one Luke Littler has also applied for trademark protection for his facial image.
Meanwhile footballer Cole Palmer has registered trademarks covering his name, signature goal celebration and the phrase “Cold Palmer”, with basketball star Luka Doncic going further by launching his own brand and digital platform, 77x, to capitalise on personal commercial opportunities.
Declan Goodwin, (pictured) a partner at national law firm Clarke Willmott and an expert in commercial law and intellectual property, says more celebrities will use IP to protect their image in the coming years.
“Trademark applications are a relatively new way for celebrities to combat the growing issue of AI ‘rip-offs’,” he said.
“Taylor Swift is just the latest to file a trademark application and as AI fakes continue to proliferate, many more will surely follow suit.
“For leading sports stars, pop stars and movie stars IP rights are fundamental, not only in protecting performance-related innovation, but also in monetising personality, brand and fan engagement.
“These celebrities are increasingly sophisticated rights holders, managing their image and identity as commercial assets so they can leverage IP rights to move beyond traditional endorsement deals, building long-term brand value through licensing, sponsorships and partnerships.
“However, with opportunity comes risk. Inadequate protection can lead to unauthorised use, counterfeiting or disputes, especially in a sector with global reach and digital exposure.”
