Lionel Richie has filed four trademark applications to legally protect the sound of his voice from AI cloning, joining a growing list of stars fighting back against deepfake technology.
Lionel Richie has a new question for the AI world and it isn’t “Hello, is it me you’re looking for?” It’s more like: hands off my voice. The Daily Star reports the legendary singer has filed four trademark applications at the US Patent and Trademark Office to legally protect the distinctive sound of his vocals.
The filings seek protection for audio recordings of Richie performing iconic phrases from his biggest hits, Hello, Say You Say Me, Easy Like Sunday Morning and All Night Long.
Richie joins Taylor Swift, Matthew McConaughey and others turning to novel legal efforts to shield their voices against AI cloning a threat growing faster than lawmakers can keep up with. Trademark attorney Josh Gerben, who first spotted the filings, warns the applications face significant legal hurdles, noting they were filed on an intent-to-use basis, meaning Richie isn’t yet using the phrases as trademarks in commerce.
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