Matthew McConaughey has turned to trademarking to protect several of his most iconic catchphrases.
As reported by Variety, attorneys from entertainment law firm Yorn Levine have landed eight trademarks to guard the Academy Award winner from unauthorized AI misuse of his voice and likeness. Among those trademarks is phrase "Alright, alright, alright!" from 1993 comedy Dazed and Confused, where McConaughey played lead character David Wooderson. Also trademarked is audio of the entertainer saying, "Just keep living, right?" followed by "I mean" and then a final long pause before he concludes, "What are we gonna do?"
Trademark protection for "Alright, alright, alright," was submitted in December 2023, with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) approving it this past December.
Actors and other celebrities are generally covered from having their image or likeness used for commercial purposes by state rights-of-publicity laws. Yorn Levine have further protected McConaughey for him to have legal grounds to sue in federal courts for "misuse," including for unauthorized AI video.
"I don’t know what a court will say in the end. But we have to at least test this," stated Yorn Levine partner and co-founder Kevin Yorn, who also represents Zoe Saldaña and Scarlett Johansson.
McConaughey also appears to be pursuing AI technology on his own regard, like reportedly partnering with ElevenLabs to recreate a version of his newsletter in Spanish with his voice likeness.