Who is Phillip Banks? Artist behind viral Chill Guy meme threatens legal action over latest internet sensation 

As the Chill Guy meme takes over the internet while dominating the cryptocurrency market, the artist behind the viral sensation, Phillip Banks, is looking to copyright the character.

Phillip Banks took to social media to announce that he would be taking legal action against for-profit institutions using the character without his permission. Meanwhile, the popular character has reached a total value of over $405 million after being turned into a crypto token as per CoinMarketCap.

For those uninitiated, the Chill Guy, or the ‘I’m just a chill guy’ meme, includes a simply drawn anamorphic dog wearing a gray sweater, rolled-up blue jeans, red sneakers, and a smirk on his face. He is similar to the television show Family Guy’s Brian Griffin dog character.

Phillip Banks first posted the dog on Instagram on October 4, 2023, with a caption in an Instagram reel that reads, “His whole deal is he’s a chill guy that lowkey doesn’t give a fu*k.”

Phillip Banks had amassed over 20,000 followers on Instagram at the time of writing this article. The digital artist frequently shares his creations on social networking sites and is popular among the Gen Z crowd. Speaking about what led to the creation of Chill Guy, Banks revealed in his Instagram stories:

“The main design focus was coming up with a character who you could tell was chill guy but I also wanted people to know that he lowkey didn’t give a f**k.”

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More about the legal issue behind Chill Guy as Phillip Banks attempts to copyright his creation

The Chill Guy meme was heavily marketed on social media, especially in advertisements like March Madness, Sprite Europe, and CBS’ NFL advertising campaign. It also rapidly grew in the cryptocurrency market with a Solana token named after the character being launched on November 15.

Barstool Sports also accurately described the character by saying:

“Every laid-back, easygoing man on this planet can see himself in this meme. It’s not just a random image or a passing joke. No, it’s a reflection, a mirror held up to all of us who embody that calm, unbothered vibe.”

As many crypto-natives began profiting off of Phillip Banks’ creation without giving him any credit or without his permission, he took to Instagram to announce:

“I do not, and will never, endorse or condone any crypto-related projects involving my work. I will never give permission to use my art for anything crypto-related. I have absolutely no interest in anything crypto-related.”

Phillip Banks also took to X to share the announcement; however, he was quick to take down his account, likely due to the backlash he received. On November 21, Banks took to X to announce:

“Just putting it out there, Chill Guy has been copyrighted, like, legally.”

It remained uncertain as to whether the name of ‘Chill Guy,’ the character itself, or both was copyrighted.

As per DL News, Banks clarified on X that he does not care about Chill Guy being used by brands or TikTok users, as long as they credit him. But those who were using it for “unauthorized merchandise and sh*tcoins” would face legal actions.