Author: Favour Eteile

For decades, artists worried about people copying their songs. In the age of AI, they’re increasingly worried about something far more personal: AI copying their voices. On June 11, 2026, Lionel Richie filed four trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, according to filings first flagged by trademark attorney Josh Gerben of Gerben IP and reported by Billboard — the latest move in a fast-growing trend of artists trying to legally shield their voices from AI cloning. Rather than trying to trademark his natural vocal cords — which is legally impossible — Richie’s team, through an entity called…