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Johnny Cash estate files lawsuit against Coca-Cola over ad
Johnny Cash’s estate has filed a lawsuit against Coca-Cola, alleging the company used a pirated version of the late singer’s iconic voice in a national advertising campaign.
The lawsuit claims Cash “has one of the most legendary and distinctive voices in the history of music” and that Coca-Cola exploited it in its “Fan Work Is Thirsty Work” campaign for the 2025 NCAA college football season to boost sales. According to the estate, the ad featured a vocal track that sounded “remarkably like the Voice of Johnny Cash,” despite the singer having passed away in 2003.
The estate invokes the recently passed ELVIS Act, which protects artists from unauthorized commercial use of their voice and AI-generated recreations. Since Cash’s death, his voice has only been licensed twice, both times for Super Bowl advertisements. The lawsuit alleges that Coca-Cola hired an advertising agency, which in turn used a tribute singer to mimic Cash’s bass-baritone, misleading viewers into thinking it was the singer’s actual voice. The tribute singer reportedly stated on social media that the campaign aimed to “draw upon the goodwill associated with the Voice of Johnny Cash.”
The estate contends that Coca-Cola’s actions were intentional, fraudulent, malicious, and/or reckless, with damages estimated at more than $75,000. The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and compensatory damages to be determined in court. Coca-Cola has not immediately commented on the suit.
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