Billboard and Josh Gerben Discuss Lionel Richie’s New Trademarks to Protect the Sound of His Voice

Lionel Richie just filed four trademarks to protect the sound of his voice, in an attempt to combat AI fakes.

Josh Gerben explains why celebrities like Richie are filing sound trademarks and how the registrations might be able to protect them from AI copies.

The filings were first reported by Josh Gerben, a trademark attorney unaffiliated with the matter. Gerben tells Billboard that such efforts are part of a broader effort to confront “the most significant threat that musical artists have faced since Napster.”

“Left unchecked, the AI platforms could use the artists’ images and voices to create any type of content imaginable. This could lead to revenue losses and reputational damage,” Gerben says. “The goal of the trademark filings is to keep the AI platforms in check by prohibiting them from allowing users to create content that looks like or sounds like the artist.”

But first Richie needs to prove that consumers associated the sought-after trademark with particular goods and services. That might be an uphill battle for his attorneys.

“Whether Richie’s applications ultimately succeed remains an open question,” he says. “From a technical trademark perspective, these filings will be challenging because the USPTO will expect evidence that the sounds function as trademarks rather than simply famous lyrics.”

Source: Donahue, Bill. https://www.billboard.com/. “Lionel Richie Is Trademarking The Sound Of His Voice: ‘Hello, Is It Me You’re Looking For?’”. 12 June 2026.