With deepfakes on the rise, celebrities have found little recourse than to play whack-a-mole. That strategy has become more fraught with AI technology growing increasingly realistic and accessible, ensnaring everyone from Taylor Swift to Scarlett Johansson to presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Now, one of Hollywood’s go-to law firms is tackling the scourge. Venable LLP, whose clients include Swift, Peyton Manning and “La La Land” producer Automatik, is launching Takedown, a sophisticated program that proactively identifies and removes...
Taylor Swift Productions
Taylor
Swift
After Swift’s “Eras” tour broke the internet last year, there was no question that 2023 would be one for the books. This year alone, Swift rereleased “Speak Now” and “1989” in her iconic “Taylor’s Version” formats. The latter set a Spotify record that saw Swift accumulate the most streams in a single day in the service’s history. She also became the first female artist to surpass 100 million monthly Spotify listeners, second only to the Weeknd. Arguably her most impressive feat this year stems from her legendary tour — which had Swifties literally climbing over one another for tickets — capping off its first U.S. run with an estimated payday of over $700 million. That was boosted by the October release of “The Eras Tour” film, which opened to $130 million globally and finished at $250 million in a distribution pact that notably circumvented the major studios. It was the greatest opening ever for a concert film, ably aiding Swift as she ascended into billionaire territory.
