

According to Billboard.com, the estate of the late country music legend Johnny Cash has filed a lawsuit against The Coca-Cola Company, accusing the soda manufacturer of allegedly “pirating Johnny Cash’s voice in a nationwide advertising campaign to enrich itself without asking for permission or providing any compensation.”
According to the complaint, Coca-Cola’s new campaign, “Fan Work Is Thirsty Work” allegedly features a commercial called “Go the Distance.” The ad depicted fans enjoying Coca-Cola products, accompanied by a male vocal track that the lawsuit allegedly claims sounds “remarkably like” Johnny Cash. The trust alleged that Coca-Cola’s advertising agency commissioned an original song and hired a professional Johnny Cash tribute singer, whose career centers on impersonating Cash to perform it.
The lawsuit contends his alleged involvement was intended to make the ad sound as close as possible to Cash’s real voice. Despite the clear association, the trust said Coca-Cola allegedly never sought a license to use Cash’s voice or a sound-alike. The lawsuit alleges that Coca-Cola is continuing to broadcast the commercial and “exploit the Voice” without authorization. The filing accuses the company of allegedly infringing on Johnny Cash’s right of publicity and misleading consumers for commercial gain. The trust is seeking $75,000
