These celebrities are protecting their likenesses from AI — one trademark at a time

• Celebrities are filing trademark applications to protect themselves in the AI era.
• Some are concerned about AI stealing their likeness, voice, or iconic phrases without consent.
• Celebrities like Taylor Swift and Jeremy Clarkson were the subject of deepfake images.

The phrase "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" doesn't ring as true in the age of AI.

A growing number of celebrities are filing trademark applications to protect their likenesses, voices, and iconic phrases amid the AI boom. While the technology has introduced a new approach to automation and workflow, it's also ushered in a new era of deepfakes and nonconsensual content.

AI-generated content can spread misinformation by depicting real people doing, saying, or endorsing things without their knowledge. That includes politicians, religious figures, law enforcement, celebrities, and everyday people.

Although the content is fabricated, it can have real-world consequences. Grok, a chatbot developed by Elon Musk's xAI, which is now part of SpaceX, garnered widespread criticism in January for allowing users to create sexualized deepfakes images of real people, some of which included minors. The company is facing legal action in response.

Similarly, OpenAI faced backlash after launching its video generation platform, Sora 2, last year. At the time, OpenAI allowed users to create videos featuring trademarked characters without the copyright holders' consent.

The app landed them in trouble with entertainment studios and actors like Bryan Cranston, who flagged unauthorized videos featuring his character Walter White from "Breaking Bad." Following industry pushback, OpenAI implemented an opt-in approach for copyright holders before shutting down the platform altogether in April.

Celebrities like Sarah Silverman have also voiced concerns over startups stealing content to train large language models. Silverman and a group of plaintiffs sued OpenAI in 2023 for copyright infringement. A federal judge narrowed the scope of the lawsuit in February 2024, but it's ongoing.

As a result, some celebrities are seeking legal protection as AI continues to rapidly expand.

Matthew McConaughey is a vocal advocate for actors seeking to protect themselves from AI. The Wall Street Journal reported that he secured eight trademarks related to his likeness as of February, including his iconic "Dazed and Confused" quote, "Alright, alright, alright."

In an interview with Timothée Chalamet, McConaughey said taking a passive stance won't cut it.

"It's not enough — it may be for you — but it's not going to be enough to sit on the sidelines and make the moral plea that 'no, this is wrong!'" McConaughey said during CNN and Variety's Town Hall. "That's not going to last. There's too much money to be made, and it's too productive. It's here."

He added that the AI revolution will likely continue, despite pushback from critics.

"So, when it comes — not if it comes — no one can steal you," McConaughey said. "They're going to have to come to you and go, 'Can I?' Or, they're going to be in breach. And you'll have the chance to be your own agency and go, "yeah, for this amount," or 'no.'"

Taylor Swift filed three trademark applications through her company, TAS Rights Management, in April. Two trademarks are for the spoken phrases "Hey, it's Taylor Swift" and "Hey, it's Taylor."

The third is an image of Swift taken during The Eras Tour. Specifically, "a photograph of Taylor Swift holding a pink guitar, with a black strap and wearing a multi-colored iridescent bodysuit with silver boots. She is standing on a pink stage in front of a multi-colored microphone with purple lights in the background."

Swift has been the victim of deepfakes using her likeness, some of which drew ire from Swifties, politicians, and tech leaders like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. In 2024, President Donald Trump shared AI-generated images of Swift with his supporters ahead of that year's presidential election. Swift condemned the images in an Instagram post.

"Recently I was made aware that AI of 'me' falsely endorsing Donald Trump's presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation," she wrote.

Jimmy Kimmel filed three trademark applications in April related to his likeness. One trademark is associated with a specific phrase.

"Hi I'm Jimmy I'm the Host of the show… thank you.. thank you.. thank you.. thanks for coming.. thanks for watching at home.. thank you for joining us here," the trademark says. "Wherein the first several words spoken are at a higher pitch than the remaining words that gradually move to a lower pitch."

The other two were related to images of Kimmel during his time on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

Lionel Richie, through RichLion Holdings LLC, submitted four trademark applications in early June to protect his voice and some phrases. The applications are for audio recordings of Richie saying, "Hello is it me you're looking for," "All Night Long," "Easy Like Sunday Morning," and "Say you say me."

Jeremy Clarkson, the British TV presenter known for "Top Gear" and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" submitted trademark applications through the UK's Intellectual Property Office in November 2025. They were officially registered in January.

Two of the trademark applications are for images of his face, while a separate trademark is for the words "Jeremy Clarkson."

Clarkson has taken a strong stance against AI deepfakes and AI-generated content. In March 2024, he criticized scammers who used his likeness to promote cryptocurrency on social media.

In January, Clarkson condemned AI-generated images in an opinion piece for the British newspaper, The Sun. He said people created false reports about his family and friends at his farm in Cotswolds.

"On Facebook this week, we heard from just my farm alone that Gerald has died, Kaleb has had another kid, Lisa has left me and I've broken my leg," Clarkson wrote, referring to his wife and friends. "All of the stories were accompanied by a completely realistic photograph. And all of them were complete nonsense."

He added, "Do I mind? Yes. Mostly because Gerald is unused to being in the public eye and it worries him that his kids see this kind of thing online. So whoever's doing it, pack it in."

The Backstreet Boys staged an iconic pop comeback in recent years and have been protecting the brand along the way. Through BSB Entertainment, Inc., the company submitted two trademark applications on June 24.

One is for the spoken words, "HI, WE'RE THE BACKSTREET BOYS." The other is a picture of the Backstreet Boys wearing white outfits while posing in a "futuristic hallway setting."

The boy band hasn't spoken about AI as a group, but Nick Carter said in a 2025 interview with Billboard Brazil said AI needs checks and balances.

"We embrace technology and AI evolution, as long as there's no abuse," Carter said. "You have to care about melody, music, and the intention behind it. We've released over 10 albums in our career. Each contains our voices, blood, sweat, tears, emotions. You can't replace that."

In a separate 2025 interview with The Comics Beat, Carter said he used AI to help craft the official lyric video for his song, "Hey Kid," and his comic book-themed music video series.