Matthew McConaughey Registers Trademarks for His Memes to Avoid the Effects of AI
Matthew McConaughey, the actor, registered eight trademarks for his visuals that were popularly recognized as memes on the internet. His lawyer stressed that such action was necessary for protecting his likeness against unhindered distribution and alteration by artificial intelligence.
What Images are Protected
The images trademarked include at least the most obvious milestones in his career, such as:
- The "Alright, alright, alright" moment from the film "Dazed and Confused"
- Video of him standing on a porch
- An image of him sitting below a Christmas tree
The Reason for Trademarking
Primarily used to define the limits of how his image and voice can be used during the age of generative AI, McConaughey explained in an interview to WSJ.
My team and I want to make sure that if my voice or likeness is used somewhere, it's because I approved and signed it... "We want to establish clear boundaries around ownership so that consent and attribution become the norm in the AI world."
The legal uncertainty is what his legal team admits to, and if a dispute arises, there are possibly measures that a plaintiff may need to take in case a financial benefit accrued to the creator of an AI-generated meme.
Not Total Rejection of AI
McConaughey does not totally reject the technology of AI. He invests in an AI voice company, which has just given him permission to own his voice in publicizing the company's normal newsletter in Spanish.
