AI Can't Steal Your Voice: Actors Trademark Themselves

In response to rapidly advancing AI technology, prominent figures like Matthew McConaughey and Taylor Swift are taking legal steps to protect their digital identities. In 2023, McConaughey's team secured eight trademarks, including for his voice saying "Alright, alright, alright!" and specific video clips, with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granting these in 2025 after review. He stated the intention is to ensure explicit consent and attribution for any use of his voice or likeness.

Taylor Swift followed suit on April 24, 2025, filing three trademark applications covering her voice and image, particularly a photograph with a guitar. This action comes after Swift has been a frequent target of AI-generated impersonations. While celebrities commonly register trademarks for branding, these specific applications focus on protecting an individual's general persona, voice, and likeness – areas not typically covered by traditional trademark law.

These efforts aim to provide additional legal recourse, potentially deterring AI platforms from unauthorized commercial use of an actor's image and voice. While "right of publicity" laws exist at the state level, federal trademark infringement lawsuits offer a broader reach. However, the enforceability of these trademarks against AI-generated replicas remains uncertain, with some legal experts suggesting that trademarks must be tied to specific goods or services.

Industry stakeholders are grappling with AI's implications. SAG-AFTRA has negotiated for AI protections, while initiatives like the proposed "No Fakes Act" aim to outlaw unauthorized AI-generated copies. Despite these measures, some predict AI-generated performers could become commonplace, leading some to advise actors to license their likenesses rather than be left behind in this evolving landscape.