Matthew McConaughey secured eight trademarks from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in recent months, including a sound mark for his “Alright, alright, alright” line. The filings, made through J.K. Livin Brands Inc., aim to block unauthorized AI use of his voice and likeness in federal court.
The sound mark captures his three-word delivery and records precise pitch changes; the approval for the sound mark states the pattern as “wherein the first syllable of the first two words is at a lower pitch than the second syllable, and the first syllable of the last word is at a higher pitch than the second syllable.”
By holding federal trademarks, McConaughey gains standing to sue and help deter unauthorized AI-generated content. As stated, “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.”
The eight registrations also include video clips and recordings of McConaughey saying “Just keep livin’, right?” followed by “I mean.” His legal team at Yorn Levine says the filings will test how courts handle AI misuse.
McConaughey has also partnered with AI voice company ElevenLabs for licensed Spanish versions of his newsletter, while the industry pursues licensing solutions after disputes with AI music generators like Udio. (Ed. note: this reflects a divide between licensed use and unauthorized replication.)
