Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey has registered his voice and image with the US trademark office to stop AI platforms from using them without permission. According to BBC News, clips including his famous line „alright, alright, alright“ from the 1993 film Dazed and Confused were filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. His lawyers say this marks the first time an actor has used trademark law to protect against AI misuse.
First Legal Move Against AI Copying
The Dallas Buyers Club actor registered several clips through the commercial arm of his Just Keep Livin Foundation. His lawyer Kevin Yorn told AFP news agency they had no current examples of AI manipulation but wanted broad protection against any unauthorized copies. A second goal is to „capture some of the value that is being created with this new technology,“ Yorn said.
McConaughey told the Wall Street Journal via email that he wants to know his voice or likeness is used only when he approves it. „We want to create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world,“ he said.
Expert Views on Celebrity Protection
Alina Trapova, an assistant professor in copyright law at University College London, confirmed this appears to be the first such trademark filing by an actor. She told BBC that celebrities face AI problems both for reputation and missed licensing opportunities. Stars are trying different forms of protection as unauthorized deepfakes become „more and more challenging in the age of AI.“
Growing Concerns in Entertainment
The 56-year-old actor is not against AI entirely. He owns a stake in ElevenLabs, an AI voice modeling company, and has allowed them to create an authorized audio version of his voice. But AI-generated content has sparked multiple controversies. In 2024, Scarlett Johansson said she was „shocked“ when OpenAI launched a chatbot with a voice similar to hers. Disney and Universal also sued AI firm Midjourney in June 2025 over image generation.
Dr Sandra Wachter, a professor at the University of Oxford, expects more creative professionals to follow McConaughey’s approach. „It is simple for companies to take your work and train a model to do your job,“ she told BBC. „It is comparatively difficult for you to protect your work in the first place.“
