--- title: "Matthew McConaughey Is Using a Clever Legal Trick to Bludgeon AI Companies" description: "Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey filed eight trademark applications that featured videos and audio clips of him to thwart AI." date: "2026-01-16" modified: "2026-01-16" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/matthew-mcconaughey-ai-copyright" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Ethics" --- # Matthew McConaughey Is Using a Clever Legal Trick to Bludgeon AI Companies ![Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey filed eight trademark applications that featured videos and audio clips of him to thwart AI.]() *Michael Buckner/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images* For years now, actors have rung the alarm bells over the AI industry planning to [sell their likeness and voices]() — either with or without their consent — and hence threatening to [put them out of work](). Beyond a major 2023 strike by Hollywood actors fueled by these concerns, we've already seen actors take matters into their own hands, like when Scarlett Johansson [threatened to sue OpenAI]() over a ChatGPT update that she claims imitated her voice. Two voice actors have [also filed a lawsuit](), accusing an AI startup of using their voices to train their AI without permission. Tensions came to a head last year when an AI company unveiled an AI actor dubbed Tilly Norwood. The news was [met by near-universal backlash]() from both industry insiders and the public, further stoking fears of the industry coming for human actors' jobs. To get ahead of having the industry making unauthorized AI dupes of his likeness or voice, Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey came up with a clever new defense tactic. As the [*Wall Street Journal* reports](), the performer filed eight trademark applications to the US Patent and Trademark Office that featured videos and audio clips of him "staring, smiling and talking." All eight applications have since been approved — and yes, one of the submitted clips included him saying his iconic line, "Alright, alright, alright" from the 1993 movie "Dazed and Confused." "My team and I want to know that when my voice or likeness is ever used, it’s because I approved and signed off on it," McConaughey told the newspaper in an email. "We want to create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world." The goal is to pave the way for litigation in case a company or individual were to attempt to profit from the actor's likeness with the help of AI. "In a world where we’re watching everybody scramble to figure out what to do about AI misuse, we have a tool now to stop someone in their tracks or take them to federal court," one of McConaughey’s attorneys, Jonathan Pollack, told the newspaper. Whether the gambit will pay off remains to be seen. For one, many copyright infringement challenges aimed at AI companies are still playing out in court as we speak. "I don’t know what a court will say in the end," attorney Kevin Yorn, who is also representing McConaughey, told the *WSJ*. "But we have to at least test this." Other experts added that copyright law gets murky when it comes to AI-based video platforms, like OpenAI's Sora. The app, which allows users to generate [photorealistic clips of famous characters and actors]() despite the company's guardrails, was criticized by talent agencies last year. The Sam Altman-led firm appeared to have bungled its messaging at the time, telling some talent agencies at first that they'd have to [opt out]() of having actors they represent appear on Sora — [only to change its mind days later](), triggering copious confusion. Federal rules establishing if, when, and how an actor's likeness or voice can be used are still being debated by lawmakers. Hollywood unions, however, remain adamant that unauthorized AI clones of actors should be illegal. **More on actors and AI:** [*With the Powers of AI, Annoying Dorks Can Now Pretend They’re Friends With Cool Famous People*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()