Alright, Alright, Alright: Matthew McConaughey Secures Comprehensive Trade Mark Protection of His Persona to Combat AI Deepfakes

Matthew McConaughey has joined a growing number of celebrities and sports figures in protecting characteristic features of their persona. Through his company, J.K. Livin Brands Inc., the Oscar-winning actor obtained eight trade marks in Classes 9 (Electrical & Scientific Apparatus) and 41 (Education & Entertainment) from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office covering his voice, image and signature phrases, creating a nationwide legal shield against unauthorised artificial intelligence (“AI”) exploitation, particularly deepfakes. 

The registrations include motion marks featuring McConaughey’s distinctive gestures, including a 7-second porch scene[1] and a 3-second clip of him in front of a Christmas tree[2]. Additional sound marks protect the unique pitch and delivery of his iconic “Alright, Alright, Alright”[3], and "Just keep livin', right? I mean, what else are we gonna do?"[4].

Building on Existing Practice

While celebrities increasingly seek protection for distinctive traits such as poses, gestures, and catchphrases, McConaughey’s filings stand out for their breadth, covering multiple aspects of his persona with the stated aim of combatting AI exploitation.

Whilst US state-level publicity rights already safeguard against commercial misuse of celebrity images, McConaughey’s federal strategy provides broader enforcement powers.  Critically, it extends beyond direct product sales to encompass AI-generated content mimicking his protected performance markers, regardless of commercial intent. Any AI model replicating these distinctive elements could face federal trade mark infringement claims.

“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 explained. “We want to create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world." Although he has not yet faced documented AI misuse, the registrations serve as a proactive deterrent, particularly given recent deepfake incidents involving other celebrities such as Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, and Taylor Swift. 

According to McConaughey’s lawyer, no other actors have secured such comprehensive trade mark protection. In the EU and UK, non-traditional marks, such as those comprising movement or sound, remain relatively rare, likely owing to challenges in registrability and enforceability. However, in 2025, Cole Palmer successfully secured UK[5] and EU registrations[6] for his distinctive “shiver goal celebration”. 

Palmer also obtained a UK trade mark for his facial image.[7] His equivalent EU application, however, remains pending[8] and may be affected by an upcoming Grand Board of Appeal decision on the registrability of facial-image marks in another application[9]. 

A Look Ahead

More celebrities will likely follow McConaughey’s approach to protect their unique traits. As a result, AI developers will increasingly need to conduct comprehensive searches of trade mark registers to identify any existing registrations, including movement and sound marks, and determine the goods and services classes in which they are protected. 

McConaughey’s comprehensive strategy illustrates how traditional intellectual property frameworks can be adapted to address emerging technological challenges. By securing federal protection for sensory elements of his persona, he has built upon existing approaches to celebrity brand protection and adapted them for the AI era. 

Whether courts will uphold this novel application of trade mark law, however, remains to be seen. Enforcement could prove challenging, particularly regarding how specific movements or phrases can serve as source identifiers, how closely AI-generated outputs may resemble them before being considered infringing and whether or not McConaughy has actually made the required use of the marks. These are questions that will undoubtedly require further consideration. However, in the meantime McConaughey’s forward-thinking broad approach may become a new standard for how public figures safeguard their most valuable asset: themselves. 

While McConaughy does not yet appear to have filed similar applications at the EUIPO, we expect to see applications for International Registrations through WIPO from McConaughey and his team, expanding the global reach of his protection.