Photograph Credit score: Raph_PH
Is the period of voice logos upon us? It appears that evidently means, as Lionel Richie has develop into the newest leisure skilled to file associated functions amid AI’s fast growth.
Particularly, Tuskegee-born Richie moved to acquire 4 logos yesterday – becoming a member of the likes of Taylor Swift and Matthew McConaughey, each of whom have sought voice and likeness logos as of late.
In keeping with the filings, Richie is particularly searching for sound marks for snippets of his famed track lyrics: “Hi there, is it me you’re in search of?”; “Say you, say me”; “Simple like Sunday morning”; and “All evening lengthy.”
Unsurprisingly, all of the functions point out “a person saying” the lyrics in reference to, amongst different issues, “leisure info companies,” stage performances, interviews, and associated web sites.
These particular usages apart, it’s not a secret that the aforesaid AI, which is pumping out all method of soundalike and lookalike media, performed a key half in Richie’s submitting the functions.
However will they obtain USPTO approval? If that’s the case, how precisely would the four-time Grammy winner look to guard his IP below present trademark regulation?
Admittedly, we lack definitive solutions right here. On the previous entrance, Gerben IP pointed to the opportunity of Richie and others encountering “important authorized hurdles” with the heretofore little-seen functions.
(A couple of adjoining questions: As these functions are searching for to guard precise voices, what occurs when similar-sounding entertainers come alongside? Is that this a primary come, first served state of affairs that may go away future generations out of luck? And what of present voice overlap amongst public figures usually?)
Nonetheless, McConaughey has already secured a number of logos; his “Hey, hey, hey” utility was filed again in 2023. Moreover, regardless of the enforceability questions, it’s at all times doable that voice and likeness logos will show helpful in courtroom confrontations down the road.
That ties again to a different unknown: How the “NIL” focus will evolve within the approaching years. Between the AI and music-investment explosions, it appears protected to say that there’s by no means been a much bigger emphasis on the rights.
Time will inform how this – and the corresponding trademark course of – evolves within the coming years. There’s additionally the possibility that Congress will replace voice and likeness regulation for the AI period; a modified model of the No Fakes Act, the prior iteration of which sputtered out in committee, was launched final month.
