Matthew McConaughey Trademarks “Alright, Alright, Alright” to Shut Down AI Imitations

Matthew McConaughey’s voice is instantly recognizable. Say three words, and most people can already hear him. That’s exactly why the actor is drawing a firm legal line in the sand.

According to recent reports, McConaughey was granted at least eight trademarks covering some of his most iconic scenes and spoken lines. Some of the covered works include a brief clip of him sitting in front of a Christmas tree, another clip of him standing on a porch, and even the line “Alright, alright, alright,” which was originally seen in “Dazed and Confused.”

What’s the issue? 

McConaughey’s concerns are warranted. As deepfake technology becomes more popular and accessible to users of all skill levels, McConaughey is simply trying to protect his reputation. 

The actor explained his position in an email to The Wall Street Journal, where he was quoted as saying: “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. We want to create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution as the norm in an AI world.”

Matthew McConaughey isn’t against AI in general. He just wants full control over the use of his own voice and likeness. In fact, he’s an early investor and partner of a popular AI company. 

Investing in ElevenLabs

ElevenLabs is an AI voice generator and AI voice agent platform.

It currently boasts more than 5,000 voices available in more than 70 languages. McConaughey himself uses the platform to translate his “Lyrics of Livin’” newsletter into Spanish while still preserving his authentic cadence and tone. The newsletter is delivered every Friday to email inboxes around the world. 

Others, like recently retired actor Michael Caine (“The Dark Knight,” “Batman Begins,” “The Muppet Christmas Carol”), have gone even further by making AI clones of their voices available on the ElevenLabs Marketplace. Some additional AI personalities on the platform include John Wayne, Judy Garland, Alan Turing, Maya Angelou, and many more.

All of the AI voices on ElevenLabs are available for use by virtually anyone. However, the appropriate licensing needs to be requested — and obtained — before their celebrity voices can be used in your own projects.

Limiting the dangers of AI deepfakes

Generative AI deepfakes can be downright dangerous in the wrong hands. Back in February 2025, an AI deepfake involving Elon Musk and Donald Trump was broadcast on television screens within the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 

The video was clearly created by AI, as it included several obvious flaws, but it proves just how easy it is to insert someone’s virtual likeness into a compromising situation that they had nothing to do with in reality.

Also read: Scarlett Johansson condemned an AI deepfake video that used her likeness without consent. 

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