Celebrities are filing federal trademark applications to protect their voices, images, and signatures phrases from unauthorized AI-generated content — and the trend is growing fast.
You may have seen the headlines. Major names in entertainment have started using trademark law as a tool to establish legal ownership over what makes them recognizable — their voice, their face, their catchphrases. It’s a smart move, and it has real implications for anyone building a personal brand.
Generative AI has made it relatively quick and inexpensive to create convincing audio and video of real people saying or doing things they never actually said or did. These fabrications — often called deepfakes — have been used to create fake endorsements, spread misinformation, and produce content that public figures never consented to.
In response, some well-known entertainers have gone on the offensive. Rather than waiting for legislation to catch up, they’ve begun building legal protection around specific, identifiable elements of their persona through the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office).
One of the first major celebrities to take this approach was actor Matthew McConaughey. Through his company J.K. Livin Brands, Inc., McConaughey filed federal trademark applications covering several elements of his personal brand. Among them is his famous catchphrase “Alright, Alright, Alright” (Serial No. 98325548), which registered in December 2025 in Class 9, covering downloadable audio and video recordings in the field of self-help, personal growth, and spirituality.
More recently, in April 2026, J.K. Livin Brands filed additional applications in Class 41 (Entertainment and Education Services) covering personal appearances, film production, television production, and celebrity entertainment services — filings that include design elements depicting his likeness.
McConaughey has spoken publicly about his goal: to create a defined boundary around his identity so that any commercial use of his likeness requires his explicit consent.
In April 2026, TAS Rights Management, LLC — Taylor Swift’s intellectual property company — filed multiple trademark applications with the USPTO. The filings include an image-based mark in Class 41, covering entertainment services such as live performances, music streaming, video content, stage appearances, and public appearances.
The design codes in these applications specifically reference elements like a woman’s portrait, musical instruments (including guitar), boots, microphones, and stage lighting — recognizable to all Swifties as being a shot from her Eras Tour.
These filings are structured as use-in-commerce applications, meaning Swift’s team is asserting that the marks are already in active use — providing a stronger foundation than an intent-to-use filing alone.
It helps to understand what trademark law can and cannot do here.
A trademark protects brand identifiers — words, names, sounds, symbols, or images that distinguish the source of goods or services. When a celebrity trademarks their voice, a signature phrase, or a distinctive visual element, they’re not claiming exclusive rights to the sound of a voice in a general sense. They’re establishing that specific, identifiable expression as a source identifier for their brand.
That registered mark then gives them legal grounds to challenge unauthorized commercial uses — including AI-generated content that mimics those elements to sell products, generate revenue, or deceive audiences.
This is different from copyright, which protects original creative works, and from right-of-publicity laws, which vary state by state. Trademark registration through the USPTO provides federal protection that’s more consistent and more enforceable.
You don’t need to be a household name for this to apply to you.
If you’re a content creator, influencer, podcaster, speaker, or entertainer, your voice and your look are part of your brand. The more recognizable you become, the more likely someone could use AI to imitate you — to create fake sponsored content, impersonate you to followers, or produce misleading material under your name.
We’ve worked with clients across the entertainment and influencer industries who have filed trademarks on their personal names, stage names, and signature phrases. This is a continuation of that same instinct — and the cases above show that the strategy is well-established and growing.
Even clients outside entertainment should take note. If your name is your brand — whether you’re a coach, consultant, speaker, or service provider — a personal name trademark may be worth exploring.
If you’re thinking about protecting your personal brand in a similar way, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Trademark registration requires that the mark function as a brand identifier, not just a personal name or common phrase. The more distinctive and recognizable your mark is, the stronger the application. A generic catchphrase or a name that’s widely used may face obstacles.
It’s also worth thinking through the goods and services you want protection for. The McConaughey and Swift filings cover specific trademark classes — Class 9 for downloadable media and Class 41 for entertainment services. Filing in the right class matters, and filing in too narrow a scope can leave gaps in your protection.
Before filing anything, a thorough trademark search is essential. You need to know whether similar marks already exist that could conflict with yours — whether they’re identical or just confusingly similar. This includes Federal trademarks, State trademarks, and common law uses (unregistered rights that can still create legal conflicts).
Can you trademark your voice? Yes, in certain cases. A voice or distinctive sound can be registered as a sound mark with the USPTO if it functions as a brand identifier — meaning consumers associate that specific sound with a particular source. This is a specialized type of trademark application and requires meeting specific USPTO requirements.
What is a name, image, and likeness trademark? A name, image, and likeness (NIL) trademark refers to registering specific elements of a person’s identity — their name, physical appearance, voice, or signature phrase — as federal trademarks. It’s one layer of legal protection that public figures use alongside right-of-publicity laws and copyright.
Do you have to be a celebrity to trademark your likeness? No. Anyone who has built a recognizable personal brand may have elements worth protecting through trademark registration. Influencers, coaches, speakers, performers, and other public-facing professionals have all filed personal brand trademarks.
How is a trademark different from a copyright when it comes to protecting your identity? Copyright protects original creative works you create, like music, writing, or video. Trademark protects brand identifiers — elements that signal the source of your goods or services. For personal brand protection, the two can work together, but they serve different purposes and require separate filings.
Does a trademark registration stop all AI deepfakes? Not automatically. A trademark registration gives you legal grounds to challenge unauthorized commercial uses of your mark, including AI-generated content that infringes on it. Enforcement still requires action, and the legal landscape around AI and deepfakes is still evolving. Registration is a proactive step — not a guarantee — but it’s a meaningful one.
Whether you’re trademarking a business name, a personal name, or something more specific to your public identity, the first step is a comprehensive trademark search. Before filing, you need to know what’s already out there — and whether your mark can be protected. That’s exactly what we do at TradeMark Express.
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