The Estate of Johnny Cash Sues Coca-Cola Over Unauthorized Voice Mimicry
In a move that's music to fans' ears, the estate of legendary country singer Johnny Cash has filed a lawsuit against beverage giant Coca-Cola, claiming the company used an unauthorized tribute singer to imitate Cash's voice in a college football ad. The suit, which was filed under Tennessee's Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act (ELVIS) Act, is the first major case to come under this new legislation.
According to the complaint, the ad has been airing since August during college football games and features a singer whose voice sounds "remarkably" like Cash's. The lawsuit claims that this voice is actually that of Shawn Barker, a professional tribute performer who allegedly provided his likeness without permission or compensation from the Cash estate.
"This case arises from Coca-Cola's pirating Johnny Cash's voice in a nationwide advertising campaign to enrich itself — without asking for permission or providing any compensation to the humble man and artist who created the goodwill from which Coca-Cola now profits," the complaint states. The lawsuit seeks a court injunction that would remove the ad from airing, as well as financial damages for alleged violations of Cash's rights under the ELVIS Act.
While this is the first major case brought under the ELVIS Act, the legislation was intended to protect artists against artificial intelligence deepfakes and voice clones. However, the lawsuit does not allege that any AI technology was used in the commercial, which has raised questions about whether the law is being applied too broadly.
The Cash estate's manager, Tim Warnock, stated, "Stealing the voice of an artist is theft. It is theft of his integrity, identity and humanity." The trust will continue to fight for its client's rights, sending a message that protects the voices of all artists whose music enriches our lives.
Coca-Cola has yet to respond to Rolling Stone's request for comment on this developing story, but it appears the company may have underestimated the power of Cash's iconic voice.
In a move that's music to fans' ears, the estate of legendary country singer Johnny Cash has filed a lawsuit against beverage giant Coca-Cola, claiming the company used an unauthorized tribute singer to imitate Cash's voice in a college football ad. The suit, which was filed under Tennessee's Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act (ELVIS) Act, is the first major case to come under this new legislation.
According to the complaint, the ad has been airing since August during college football games and features a singer whose voice sounds "remarkably" like Cash's. The lawsuit claims that this voice is actually that of Shawn Barker, a professional tribute performer who allegedly provided his likeness without permission or compensation from the Cash estate.
"This case arises from Coca-Cola's pirating Johnny Cash's voice in a nationwide advertising campaign to enrich itself — without asking for permission or providing any compensation to the humble man and artist who created the goodwill from which Coca-Cola now profits," the complaint states. The lawsuit seeks a court injunction that would remove the ad from airing, as well as financial damages for alleged violations of Cash's rights under the ELVIS Act.
While this is the first major case brought under the ELVIS Act, the legislation was intended to protect artists against artificial intelligence deepfakes and voice clones. However, the lawsuit does not allege that any AI technology was used in the commercial, which has raised questions about whether the law is being applied too broadly.
The Cash estate's manager, Tim Warnock, stated, "Stealing the voice of an artist is theft. It is theft of his integrity, identity and humanity." The trust will continue to fight for its client's rights, sending a message that protects the voices of all artists whose music enriches our lives.
Coca-Cola has yet to respond to Rolling Stone's request for comment on this developing story, but it appears the company may have underestimated the power of Cash's iconic voice.
gotta say, who knew the cash estate would go after coca-cola like that? imo, the lawsuit seems kinda weak tho - i mean, cant they just talk to shawn barker and get him to stop using the voice or somethin? its not like coca-cola is makin a ton of money off it lol 
anywayz, gotta respect tim warnock's passion for protectin artists rights though 
I gotta say, I'm loving the fact that Johnny Cash's estate is fighting back against Coca-Cola using an unauthorized tribute singer! It's about time someone stood up for artists' rights and protected their legacy. The voice mimicry tech might seem harmless, but it's actually a huge disrespect to the original artist 
. I mean, can you imagine if your favorite singer or musician had their voice used without permission? It's crazy! 
And yeah, maybe the law isn't being applied too broadly yet, but at least this case is sparking some important conversations about artists' rights and the value of original work 
. Fingers crossed for the Cash estate 
. Like can't companies just be creative and not rip off others? This is the first case under that new ELVIS Act and already they're having to sue someone for using a tribute singer without permission 
. It's like, if you wanna pay homage to an artist, do it right or don't do it at all. And what's with the voice being "remarkably" like Johnny Cash's? Like who even is Shawn Barker 
.
I mean, who doesn't love a good ol' fashioned lawsuit, right? The estate of Johnny Cash is all like "Hey, we can't let you use our dad's voice for your ad without permission" and Coca-Cola is all like *crickets*. Meanwhile, Shawn Barker gets to live his best life as the 'unauthorized tribute singer'. I guess that's one way to get a gig 
. On a more serious note, I do think it's wild that this law exists and now everyone's gotta ask permission to use someone's voice in an ad. Can't wait to see how AI deepfakes are handled under the new ELVIS Act 
.
... I mean, I get why Johnny Cash's estate wants to protect their guy's image and all that, but isn't this just a bit over-the-top? Like, it's just an ad, right? A commercial 
I'm just worried that they might end up in court and have to deal with some super technicality. What's the fine line between "stealing someone's voice" and "using a tribute singer"? 
. Can't we just let artists enjoy the fruits of their labor (and our ears) without all this drama?