An AI deepfake of you endorsing a product you have never used could put your business reputation behind someone else’s pitch. Taylor Swift and Matthew McConaughey are pursuing a creative legal response through trademark filings, with lessons for business owners whose name, face, or voice is part of their brand.

In this video, I explain why these celebrities are turning to federal trademark law and what that strategy could mean for founders, consultants, authors, speakers, and coaches. McConaughey’s recognizable “all right, all right, all right” recording and Swift’s applications covering specific voice clips and a performance image with a pink guitar illustrate an important distinction: the strategy centers on identifiable brand elements, rather than a general claim to control every use of a person’s identity.

We look at the gaps in state right of publicity laws, the difference between protecting a recording and protecting the person behind it, and how false endorsement claims may apply when a deepfake makes someone appear to promote a product without consent. I also explain the limits. Trademark protection depends on how an identifier functions in the marketplace, and the reach of these celebrity strategies remains uncertain.

For business owners, the practical discussion covers five areas: considering registration for qualifying brand identifiers, identifying your most distinctive and commercially valuable assets, addressing AI use in contracts, keeping records of authentic content, and preserving evidence quickly if someone impersonates you.

That contract discussion matters even if you never sign a celebrity endorsement deal. Content partnerships, joint ventures, and shared presentations can all raise questions about who may use your voice, image, and material in an AI system. If a deepfake does appear, I explain why preserving URLs, screenshots, dates, and account details before contacting the person responsible can matter to your response.

I’m Jessica Eaves Mathews of Leverage Legal Group. If your identity is part of your business, start thinking now about which elements need protection and where your agreements need clearer boundaries. Contact me to discuss your trademarks, contracts, and AI risks: https://www.leveragelegalgroup.com/contact

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