The 'Chill Guy' Meme Has Been Copyrighted By Creator Phillip Banks Who Says He's DMCA Striking Brands Using It For Profit
The creator of the Just a Chill Guy meme, Twitter / X user Phillip Banks (@PhillipBankss), has copyrighted his "new character" under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), following its use in the viral marketing schemes of brands who aren't crediting him.
"Emphasis on the 'for-profit' part," he said in a post on Bluesky earlier today. "Please don't think that I'm DMCA-ing every person reposting/editing/having fun with it. I don't even tell brands to take their posts down, I'm just asking for them to AT LEAST ask or give me credit for my art."
Banks initially broke the news in a tweet that's not accessible anymore to non-followers. He posted on Bluesky that he's taking a break from the X app because crypto enthusiasts were spamming his DMs with stuff related to the newly-popular Chill Guy "meme coin."
For those uninformed, the Chill Guy meme was originally called "My New Character," akin to the original caption of the initial tweet that spawned the character last year.
The anthropomorphic dog is straight from the mind of Banks. He's seen with his hands in his pockets, smirking at the viewer, undoubtedly giving Brian Griffin from Family Guy.
The meme went viral on TikTok a year after its original upload, trending en masse two months ago.
However, this month the meme saw a massive resurgence as meme creators placed the PNG image of the Chill Guy on different backgrounds. The captions led with a tense situation, always diffused by the statement, "But I'm just a chill guy."
Banks' fans are supporting his decision to copyright the character. "Get that bag brother we're rooting for you," X user @male_wife_ said. "Congrats! 👏👏 you deserve every cent," @frfrongg said in a reply to the post.
Meanwhile, X users with a focus on crypto appear to be the most annoyed. Others like @boldleonidas made original webcomic to call Banks "not chill" because of his insistence on ownership.
However, Banks has seemingly made it clear that he's more upset by brands using his character, not crypto bros. After a quick search on TikTok or X, the main culprits using his art without credit seem to be betting sites and professional sports teams.
This isn't the first time that the creator of a viral meme character has enacted DMCA takedowns. Pepe the Frog creator Matt Furie litigated against conservative and alt-right websites using his brainchild back in 2017.
For now, it's unclear where Banks' legal action will take him. The story raises the debate, though, over ownership across the flighty, digital realm.