Johnny Cash Estate Sues Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is being sued by the estate of Johnny Cash, which alleges the drinks company used an impersonator to mimic the singer’s voice in a college football-themed TV advertisement without permission.

The ELVIS Act:

• The lawsuit invokes Tennessee’s Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act (ELVIS Act), which was enacted in 2024.

• It protects an artist’s likeness, voice and image rights, particularly from AI-generated clones.

• Though the Cash estate’s lawsuit doesn’t reference AI impersonation, it does state that “the singing voice in the Infringing Ad sounds remarkably like the Voice of Johnny Cash... but the singing voice in the Infringing Ad is not the actual Voice of Johnny Cash.”

• The act allows estates of deceased individuals to pursue civil action against unauthorized commercial use.

Damages:

• The John R. Cash Revocable Trust is seeking financial damages and an injunction to stop the ad airing.

What they said:

• Tim Warnock of Loeb & Loeb, representing Cash’s estate: “Stealing the voice of an artist is theft. 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.”