By Wellett Potter
Publication Date: 2026-05-19 05:17:00
In recent months, celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Matthew McConaughey and Jeremy Clarkson have turned to trademark law to protect aspects of their identities associated with their brands.
It is a relatively new legal tactic that has not yet been tested in court. But celebrities are using it to fill a gap that copyright law wasn’t intended to fill.
In late April 2026, Swift registered two sensory trademarks: “Hey, it’s Taylor,” “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift,” and a specific image from the Eras Tour.
McConaughey has received registration of eight trademarks depicting his face, voice and well-known catchphrases. These included a three-second motion cue of him sitting in front of a Christmas tree and a sound cue of his famous “All clear, all clear, all clear” from the film “Dazed and Confused.”
British television presenter Clarkson has trademarked an image of his face. This was in response to a series of fake AI social media posts in 2024 depicting…
