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Coca-Cola sued over ad by Johnny Cash estate

On November 25, The Trust, the estate of Johnny Cash, sued The Coca‑Cola Company in Tennessee alleging it used Cash's voice without permission in the `Fan Work Is Thirsty Work` campaign and `Go the Distance` commercial.
The Trust says Coca‑Cola relied on the goodwill tied to Cash's voice, invoking the Tennessee General Assembly's `ELVIS Act`, and owns all rights to Johnny Cash's name, image, likeness, and voice.
An advertising agency commissioned an original song and hired a professional Johnny Cash tribute singer to perform it, the suit says, aiming to make the `Go the Distance` commercial sound remarkably like Johnny Cash's voice.
The suit says the commercial remains on air and alleges The Coca‑Cola Company is continuing to broadcast the ad and `exploit the Voice` without authorization; FOX Television Stations sought comment.
Given Cash's stature, the complaint emphasizes he sold more than 90 million records worldwide and the Trust says his `Voice` has been licensed only two times since his death, the suit says.

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