AI-generated images of Trump are frequently appearing! Taylor Swift has applied for trademarks on her voice and appearance to prevent Deepfake misuse

To prevent AI deepfake images, Taylor Swift has applied for trademarks on her appearance and voice to combat infringement. At the same time, the United States is promoting the “Fake Content Prevention Act,” which could fine violating platforms up to $750k, hoping to improve intellectual property protection in the digital age through legislation.

Fighting AI Deepfake Forgeries, Taylor Swift Applies for Voice and Appearance Trademarks

According to BBC reports, pop music superstar Taylor Swift has applied for trademarks on her voice and appearance to protect herself from AI forgeries. Her company submitted three trademark applications in the U.S. on April 24, including a stage photo from the Eras Tour and two promotional audio clips.

In recent years, AI-generated images of Taylor Swift have been widespread, ranging from explicit photos to fake ads urging people to vote for Donald Trump. Some highly realistic images could cause public confusion and impact Taylor Swift’s personal image.

Image source: Gemini synthesis. A false AI-generated image on the internet shows Taylor Swift supporting Trump, with Gemini adding the label “AI Fake Generated Image.”

Trademark Law as a New Defense, Lawyers Say It Can Combat Confusing Similarities

Trademark applications have become an emerging way to fight AI infringement. Before Taylor Swift’s actions, famous actor Matthew McConaughey became the first celebrity to use trademark regulations to protect her voice and image from AI misuse.

According to the trademark application documents, the photo representing Taylor Swift’s image shows her on stage holding a pink guitar, wearing colorful reflective tight clothing and silver boots. Additionally, she applied for trademarks on phrases like “Hey, I’m Taylor Swift.”

Image source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Trademark images of Taylor Swift’s appearance and likeness.

Trademark attorney Josh Gerben stated that registering trademarks can effectively prevent AI misuse of images and sounds.

He explained that Taylor Swift registering specific phrases not only challenges reproductions of her work but also legally contests confusingly similar imitations. If someone creates an AI version of Taylor Swift wearing tight clothing and holding a guitar in the future, she would have the right to pursue federal trademark claims.

U.S. Lawmakers Push Legislation to Address Deepfake and AI Infringement

While celebrities are applying for trademarks for self-protection, legislative bodies are also accelerating the construction of legal defenses.

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn announced on April 22 that she and fellow Senator Peter Welch, during the Recording Academy’s advocacy days, held a roundtable with over 20 artists to support bipartisan bills—the “NO FAKES Act” and the “TRAIN Act.”

The purpose of these bills is to protect creators from deepfake technology and ensure that copyrighted works are not illegally used to train AI models. Among them, the “NO FAKES Act” will establish the United States’ first federal right of public disclosure, allowing individuals to control their digital avatars and pursue infringement liabilities.

The Fake Content Prevention Act Regulates Digital Avatars, Violating Platforms Face Up to $750k Fine

The “NO FAKES Act” will grant individuals exclusive authorization rights, prohibiting unauthorized public display or distribution of computer-generated digital avatars, with a maximum protection period of up to 70 years after death. The bill includes fair use exemptions for news reporting and academic research, but explicitly excludes explicit sexual content.

In terms of penalties, the bill sanctions infringement through civil lawsuits. Violators must pay damages of $5,000 per work, and organizations must pay $25,000; online platforms that fail to cooperate with safe harbor mechanisms to remove infringing content could face fines of up to $750k.

AI deepfake forgeries of celebrities could also pose scam risks. Deloitte’s forecast indicates that by 2027, generative AI could cause scam losses in the U.S. to reach $40 billion, a significant increase from $12.3 billion in 2023.

Although both bills are still in progress and have not yet been officially passed, the combined efforts of singers, actors, and other celebrities in trademark rights mark a proactive move by industry and lawmakers to establish more comprehensive intellectual property protections to address emerging challenges in the digital era.

Further reading:
The songs I write aren’t mine! Copyright issues of Taylor Swift, Wu Qing-feng, G.E.M.: Can blockchain make royalty distribution fairer?
Countering AI Fake Photos! The iPhone camera app “ZCAM” launches, using encryption technology to reclaim authenticity