Global superstar Taylor Swift has filed trademark applications for her image in what is believed to be an attempt to protect her likeness from AI deepfakes.

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Defendant, 21, in court with second man over alleged scheme to kill music fans outside Vienna stadium

A 21-year-old man has pleaded guilty in an Austrian court over a jihadist plot to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna nearly two years ago, which led to shows by the US megastar in the country being scrapped.

The plan to kill onlookers massing outside the venue was thwarted at the 11th hour but Austrian authorities still cancelled Swift’s three scheduled performances in August 2024.

SHAH ALAM, April 28 — The Selangor government has called for swift and firm action by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) over a social media post insulting the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the state’s stance had been conveyed to Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil during a meeting held yesterday afternoon.

“I will maintain close coordination with the Ministry of Communications and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) regarding developments in the investigation by enforcement agencies, and will seek an audience to inform the Sultan of Selangor of any updates in this case,” he said in a statement yesterday.

The statement was issued following the circulation of a digitally edited image on social media depicting an animal wearing ceremonial attire and state honours, believed to be intended to insult the royal institution.

According to Amirudin, preliminary investigations found that the account owner had uploaded the post before deleting the Facebook account.

Elaborating, Amirudin stressed that the state government strongly condemns the irresponsible act, describing it as tarnishing and insulting the Selangor royal institution.

He said the royal institution, particularly the Malay Rulers, serves as the Head of Islam and a symbol of unity and harmony in Malaysia’s multiracial society.

“The response from all parties, including the public who have condemned the act, is a clear signal of the people’s stance on the role, function and highest regard for the Selangor royal institution.

“I firmly state that such despicable actions are prohibited in Selangor and, as early as this morning, my political secretary Saifuddin Shafi Muhammad lodged a police report to urge an immediate investigation into this insulting act,” he said.

Amirudin also reminded all parties to act responsibly when using social media and to avoid any actions that could disrupt social harmony and the royal institution, particularly in a multiracial state such as Selangor. — Bernama 

LOS ANGELES, April 28 — Pop superstar Taylor Swift filed trademark applications for two audio clips and one image of herself in what a trademark attorney said is an attempt to protect her voice and likeness from deepfake videos and audio created by artificial intelligence.

The applications were filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office on Friday and list Swift’s TAS Rights Management as being the owner of the audio clips and image.

A spokesman for Swift did not immediately respond to a request for comment yesterday, nor did lawyers who were listed on the filings.

In one of the audio clips, Swift is heard saying: “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift, and you can listen to my new album, The Life of a Showgirl, on demand on Amazon Music Unlimited.”

The second clip says: “Hey, it’s Taylor. My brand new album The Life of a Showgirl is out on October 3 and you can click to presave it so you can listen to it on Spotify.” 

The image Swift is seeking to trademark is of her onstage in a sequined outfit, pink guitar in hand.

Swift’s image and voice have been used in countless AI-generated deepfakes - from false advertising to fake political endorsements to explicit images.

Actor Matthew McConaughey has had similar filings approved. He told the Wall Street Journal in January that “we want to create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world.”

Trademark attorney Josh Gerben, who first publicised that Swift made the applications on his blog on Monday, wrote that they “are specifically designed to protect Taylor from threats posed by artificial intelligence.”

“While existing ‘Right of Publicity’ laws offer some protection against unauthorized use of a famous individual’s likeness, trademark filings can provide an additional layer of protection,” Gerben wrote.

Gerben added that registering a celebrity’s spoken voice is a new use of trademark registration that has not been tested in courts.

“Historically, singers relied on copyright law to protect their recorded music,” Gerben wrote. “But AI technologies now allow users to generate entirely new content that mimics an artist’s voice without copying an existing recording, creating a gap that trademarks may help fill.”

Gerben said the photo Swift is seeking to trademark serves a similar purpose.

“By protecting a distinctive visual, down to Swift’s commonly worn jumpsuit and pose, Swift’s team may gain additional grounds to pursue claims against manipulated or AI-generated images that evoke her likeness,” he wrote. — Reuters