• Join Puck

    Directly Supporting Authors

    A new economic model in which writers are also partners in the business.

    Personalized Subscriptions

    Customize your settings to receive the newsletters you want from the authors you follow.

    Stay in the Know

    Connect directly with Puck talent through email and exclusive events.

  • What is puck? Newsletters Authors Podcasts Events Gift Puck Careers

Will the McConaughey Act Save Hollywood I.P.?

The actor’s quest to button up his very vibes under existing trademark laws seems quixotic, or he could be onto something in the fight against A.I. deepfakes.

Matthew McConaughey
There’s also the small matter that these things actually have to function as trademarks: If McConaughey isn’t using those lines to sell something—products, services, or his own performances—then his registrations are, legally speaking, a bit wobbly. Photo: Robby Klein/Getty Images for IMDb
Eriq Gardner
February 10, 2026

Join Puck to listen to this article

Like many people, I had a solid chuckle when word spread that Matthew McConaughey was registering trademarks to fend off being deepfaked. Not just any trademarks either, but motion marks—the unicorns of the I.P. world. These weren’t logos or slogans slapped on tequila bottles, but rather video clips of McConaughey being McConaughey: the immortal “Alright, alright, alright,” and the Dazed and Confused koan, “Just keep living, right? I mean, what else are we going to do?”