Matthew McConaughey Trademarks Catchphrase to Combat AI Misuse
Impersonating a celebrity with artificial intelligence? Not so fast. Matthew McConaughey has taken steps to protect his famous line, “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay,” a saying popularized in Richard Linklater’s 1993 film “Dazed and Confused.”
The actor, now 56, has secured trademarks for this phrase along with several other elements linked to his image, aiming to fend off unauthorized use of his likeness in AI.
The trademark registration details describe the phrase as featuring a man saying “ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT,” with specific pitch variations in the words. His legal team at the entertainment law firm Yorn Levine reportedly filed for this trademark protection in December 2023, with approval coming from the US Patent and Trademark Office in December 2025.
In recent months, his attorney has successfully obtained eight trademarks for McConaughey.
The granted trademarks include phrases and even short videos of the actor, like one clip of him on a porch and another of him in front of a Christmas tree. Additionally, there’s an audio snippet of McConaughey saying, “Just keep living, right? I mean, what are you going to do?”
Kevin Yorn, a partner at Yorn Levine, emphasized that while celebrity likenesses are generally protected by state publicity laws, having these trademarks in place gives McConaughey a stronger legal footing for potential lawsuits in federal court.
He also mentioned that these trademarks might help combat more common misuses of AI, like creating videos of celebrities that don’t explicitly aim to sell anything. “We can’t predict what the courts will ultimately decide,” he added, “but we need to start considering these issues.” Jonathan Pollack, general counsel at Yorn Levine, echoed this sentiment, stating that with the rise of AI misuse, they now have more legal tools at their disposal.
Alongside these efforts, McConaughey announced a collaboration with an AI voice company, Eleven Labs, to produce a Spanish version of his voice for various projects. His trademarks have been registered under JK Livin Brands Inc., which oversees his Just Keep Livin apparel line.
In an interview, McConaughey shared how his iconic catchphrase originated. He portrayed the character David Wooderson in “Dazed and Confused,” and the line was entirely improvised during filming. “It just came out,” he recalled, describing how nervous he felt about making the character authentic.
Even decades later, McConaughey fondly remembers that moment. The actor still reflects on the impact of his catchphrase, noting how it resonates with fans even today. “I never imagined it would endure this long,” he remarked.
McConaughey isn’t the only celebrity to register trademarks for catchphrases tied to their personas. Paris Hilton famously trademarked her catchphrase “That’s hot” for commercial use, while Taylor Swift has sought to trademark various song lyrics.
In a related note, Eminem is currently in a legal dispute over trademark rights against an Australian brand that allegedly has a name too close to his alter ego, Slim Shady.
