“Stealing the voice of an artist is theft,” Warnock said.
“It is theft of his integrity, identity and humanity. The trust brings this lawsuit to protect the voice of Johnny Cash — and to send a message that protects the voice of all of the artists whose music enriches our lives.”
Coca-Cola is yet to publicly respond to the allegations. The case highlights ongoing concerns regarding the use of artificial voice technology and the protection of artists’ intellectual property rights.
The lawsuit said that Coca-Cola began airing the ad, called “Fan Work Is Thirsty Work, during NCAA football games in August. The estate alleged that the company hired a Johnny Cash tribute singer who sounded “remarkably” like Cash to sing the ad’s backing music.
Coca-Cola’s ad tricked consumers into thinking the Cash estate endorsed its products, according to the complaint, which cited several social media comments that noted the singer’s similarity to Cash.
