Taylor Swift files to trademark her voice and likeness in the age of AI

MoneyWatch Taylor Swift files to trademark her voice and image amid rise in AI deepfakes .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-moneywatch.jpg'); } By Megan Cerullo, Megan Cerullo Reporter, MoneyWatch Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting. Read Full Bio Megan Cerullo, Jo Ling Kent Jo Ling Kent Senior Business and Technology Correspondent Journalist Jo Ling Kent joined CBS News in July 2023 as the senior business and technology correspondent for CBS News. Kent has more than 15 years of experience covering the intersection of technology and business in the U.S., as well as the emergence of China as a global economic power. Read Full Bio Jo Ling Kent April 28, 2026 / 12:06 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Taylor Swift has taken steps to protect herself in the age of artificial intelligence by trademarking her voice and likeness, adding a layer of protection against copycats. Swift's company on Friday filed three trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Two applications cover her voice speaking the phrases "Hey, it's Taylor Swift," and "Hey, it's Taylor." The third trademark application applies to an image of the pop star posing on stage holding a guitar.Intellectual property attorney Josh Gerben of Gerben IP, who first spotted the filings, told CBS News that he believes celebrities could require such protections as AI tools make it easy to generate audio, visual and video content known as "deepfakes," which can depict a famous person doing or saying things they never did and might not condone.  Pop star Taylor Swift is seeking to protect her voice and likeness in the age of AI. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office "Now, anyone can spin up a version of an artist's voice, have it say anything, attach it to anyt...