The Backstreet Boys' company, BSB Entertainment, has applied to register a sound mark covering the group saying "Hi, we're the Backstreet Boys", backing the filing with recordings of the line from concert adverts. The application, spotted by the law firm Gerben IP, lists uses across recorded and live audio and video services.
That puts the band alongside Taylor Swift, who filed marks on short spoken greetings, and Lionel Richie, who sought to register himself saying well-known lyrics. Matthew McConaughey already holds several voice marks.
Sound marks are uncommon but established; Netflix's "tu-dum" is the familiar example. Whether they help against AI soundalikes is still open: Gerben doubts a mark on one phrase can reach imitations that never say it, and Digital Music News suggests the filings could instead underpin licensing talks with AI companies. The first test is whether the applications are granted.
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