{"id":8129,"date":"2026-01-16T20:56:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T20:56:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/matthew-mcconaughey-ai-copyright\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T20:56:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T20:56:06","slug":"matthew-mcconaughey-ai-copyright","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/matthew-mcconaughey-ai-copyright\/","title":{"rendered":"Matthew McConaughey Is Using a Clever Legal Trick to Bludgeon AI Companies"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For years now, actors have rung the alarm bells over the AI industry planning to sell their likeness and voices<\/a> \u2014 either with or without their consent \u2014 and hence threatening to put them out of work<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Beyond a major 2023 strike by Hollywood actors fueled by these concerns, we\u2019ve already seen actors take matters into their own hands, like when Scarlett Johansson threatened to sue OpenAI<\/a> over a ChatGPT update that she claims imitated her voice. Two voice actors have also filed a lawsuit<\/a>, accusing an AI startup of using their voices to train their AI without permission.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> from both industry insiders and the public, further stoking fears of the industry coming for human actors\u2019 jobs.<\/p>\n

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<\/em> reports<\/a>, the performer filed eight trademark applications to the US Patent and Trademark Office that featured videos and audio clips of him \u201cstaring, smiling and talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

All eight applications have since been approved \u2014 and yes, one of the submitted clips included him saying his iconic line, \u201cAlright, alright, alright\u201d from the 1993 movie \u201cDazed and Confused.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy team and I want to know that when my voice or likeness is ever used, it\u2019s because I approved and signed off on it,\u201d McConaughey told the newspaper in an email. \u201cWe want to create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world.\u201d<\/p>\n

The goal is to pave the way for litigation in case a company or individual were to attempt to profit from the actor\u2019s likeness with the help of AI.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a world where we\u2019re 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,\u201d one of McConaughey\u2019s attorneys, Jonathan Pollack, told the newspaper.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what a court will say in the end,\u201d attorney Kevin Yorn, who is also representing McConaughey, told the WSJ<\/em>. \u201cBut we have to at least test this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other experts added that copyright law gets murky when it comes to AI-based video platforms, like OpenAI\u2019s Sora. The app, which allows users to generate photorealistic clips of famous characters and actors<\/a> despite the company\u2019s guardrails, was criticized by talent agencies last year.<\/p>\n

The Sam Altman-led firm appeared to have bungled its messaging at the time, telling some talent agencies at first that they\u2019d have to opt out<\/a> of having actors they represent appear on Sora \u2014 only to change its mind days later<\/a>, triggering copious confusion.<\/p>\n

Federal rules establishing if, when, and how an actor\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

More on actors and AI:<\/strong> With the Powers of AI, Annoying Dorks Can Now Pretend They\u2019re Friends With Cool Famous People<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The post Matthew McConaughey Is Using a Clever Legal Trick to Bludgeon AI Companies<\/a> appeared first on Futurism<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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