Sam Altman · OpenAI · Amazon · Elon Musk · The Verge
Trademark applications filed by Taylor Swift could serve as another legal tool to combat AI fakes
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Trademark applications filed by Taylor Swift could serve as another legal tool to combat AI fakes.
Key facts
- Legal teams have had to get a bit creative as a result, with Universal Music Group (UMG) issuing copyright takedown requests of an AI-generated Drake song, citing the Metro Boomin producer tag
- As explained by IP attorney Josh Gerben, trademarks could help fill the gap created by AI-generated mimicry
- Hey, it’s Taylor Swift, and you can listen to my new album The Life of a Showgirl on demand on Amazon Music Unlimited,” Swift says in one of the clips
- But Alexandra Roberts, a professor of law and media at Northeastern University, tells The Verge that she’s “skeptical” that the audio clip submitted by Swift’s team “demonstrates use as a mark
Summary
Taylor Swift has been at the center of AI imitation controversies for years, and now, she’s become the latest celebrity who’s escalating attempts to protect herself from AI copycats. In trademark applications filed last week, Swift’s team asked for protection for two phrases spoken by the singer: “ Hey, it’s Taylor Swift ” and “ Hey, it’s Taylor.” The trademark applications, filed by TAS Rights Management on behalf of Swift, include audio clips of Swift saying the two phrases as part of a promotion for her latest album. Though Swift’s team hasn’t said that the trademarks are meant to protect against AI misuse, it seems like a likely possibility given Swift’s history with AI. Artists have long used copyright law to protect their music, but the rise of AI-generated tracks has made defending their work and likenesses more difficult.