TL;DR: The Coca-Cola/Johnny Cash soundalike lawsuit exposes critical voice copyright issues most small businesses don’t understand. Voice copyright protects celebrities and public figures from unauthorised use of soundalikes in marketing. If you’re using AI-generated voices, hiring freelancers who copy distinctive vocal styles, or creating “inspired by” content, you’re risking voice copyright infringement. Here’s your essential guide to understanding voice copyright and protecting your business.
Disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer, and this isn’t legal advice. I’m a business consultant sharing practical insights about voice copyright from working with clients on content marketing and IP compliance. For specific legal guidance on voice copyright matters, I’m happy to introduce you to a copyright lawyer in New Zealand who specialises in these issues.
What This Means for Your Business
• Small businesses routinely cross IP boundaries without knowing (soundalike voices, copied ad styles, AI-generated “in the style of” content)
• Legal risk grows with success. Viral content attracts legal attention fast
• The ELVIS Act (Tennessee law) applies to NZ businesses because your content is viewable in the US
• AI tools make infringement easier than ever, and detection is getting better too
• Three questions before you publish: Would this annoy me? Does the brief mention someone else’s work? Can I explain this idea without referencing another brand?
How I Discovered My Clients Were Playing With Fire
When Coca-Cola got sued by the Johnny Cash estate for using a soundalike singer, my first thought wasn’t about corporate wrongdoing.
I thought: “How many of my clients are doing this without knowing?”
Not with Johnny Cash. But with stock music that sounds like a chart hit. Video content that mimics a well-known ad. Social posts “inspired by” someone else’s work.
I see this constantly. A client gets excited about a campaign that’s a copy of something they saw work elsewhere, logo swapped. They don’t see the problem. They think “inspiration” is fair game.
The Coca-Cola case shows how blurry that line is. If a massive corporation with legal teams gets this wrong, what chance do small businesses have when they’re using AI tools or hiring freelancers who cut corners?
Bottom line: Most small businesses are one viral post away from a legal problem they didn’t know existed.
What Does Voice Copyright Infringement Look Like?
Video content is where I see this most.
A client briefs a freelancer: “Make it like that Apple ad” or “We want that Dove Real Beauty vibe.” The freelancer delivers something that’s not inspired. It’s a shot-for-shot remake with different actors and products.
They’ll use royalty-free music that sounds like a popular song. Or find a voice actor who mimics someone recognisable.
Last year, a client wanted a video with a Morgan Freeman-type voiceover. The freelancer delivered someone doing a Morgan Freeman impression. They loved it until I explained that’s a voice copyright violation, exactly what Coca-Cola is being sued for with Johnny Cash.
Then there’s AI-generated content. Clients use tools to create “in the style of” anything. Music, voices, writing styles. They think AI-generated means original.
Wrong.
Prompting AI to create “a song that sounds like Ed Sheeran” or “write this like Seth Godin” creates the same problem. The tools make this so easy people don’t stop to ask if they should.
Here’s what matters: “Inspired by” is not a legal defence. Deliberately making people think of someone specific means you’re trading on their reputation without permission.
Why “It’s Not Actually Morgan Freeman” Isn’t a Voice Copyright Defence
When I stopped that Morgan Freeman voiceover, my client was baffled.
“But it’s not Morgan Freeman, so what’s the problem?”
They couldn’t see the difference between hiring someone with a deep, authoritative voice and hiring someone to sound like Morgan Freeman.
I explained it in business terms: “If someone set up a coffee shop that looked exactly like yours, used your colour scheme, copied your menu layout, and hired staff who dressed like yours, you’d be furious even if they called it something different.”
That landed.
The shift needed here is simple. Stop thinking “it’s not technically illegal if it’s not the actual person.” Start asking “am I deliberately making people think of someone specific?”
If you are, you’re trading on their reputation without permission.
I asked: “Why do you want a Morgan Freeman-type voice?”
“Because people trust Morgan Freeman.”
There it is. They wanted to borrow his credibility, his brand equity, without paying for it.
Most small business owners never have this conversation. They create it, post it, hope no one notices. Mostly, no one does because they’re too small.
Doesn’t make it right. Doesn’t mean you won’t get caught when you grow.
The reality: Obscurity protects you temporarily. Growth exposes you permanently.
How Viral Success Triggers Legal Action
“We’re too small for anyone to care” works fine until it doesn’t.
I had a client whose social post went viral. Properly viral. Millions of views. The music was clearly “inspired by” a well-known track.
At 200 views, nobody cared.
At 2 million views, cease and desist arrived within 48 hours.
They pulled everything down. Lost all momentum. Spent money they didn’t have on legal advice.
The problem: every small business wants content to go viral, get media attention, scale fast. But if you’ve built success on borrowed creative equity, growth exposes you.
The tools that help you grow make it easier to cross the line. You use AI to create a “Taylor Swift-style” jingle for your local bakery. At 50 customers, Taylor’s team won’t know. But when that bakery franchises, or the jingle gets used in a TV spot, or someone shares it and it takes off, you’re visible.
Big corporations settle and move on. Small businesses facing legal action often can’t survive. The lawsuit alone kills them, even if they’d win eventually.
The pattern: Obscurity at 200 views. Legal exposure at 2 million. Growth turns protection into liability.
The Double Standard About “Borrowed” Content
I worked with a client who runs a boutique fitness studio. She’d developed a specific workout method. Particular branding, language, class structure.
Another studio opened across town and copied everything.
She was furious. Wanted to sue. Spent weeks talking about stolen intellectual property.
What she missed: her marketing videos used music “inspired by” popular workout songs. Her Instagram mimicked viral fitness trends frame-for-frame.
When I pointed out she was upset about someone doing to her what she’d been doing to others, she got defensive.
“That’s different. Music and video styles can’t be owned. But my workout method is mine.”
I asked what the difference was. She couldn’t explain it beyond “it feels different when it’s happening to you.”
Double standard right there.
Business owners think borrowing from big brands or popular culture is fair game. “They’re huge, they won’t notice, everyone does it.”
When someone borrows from them, intellectual property suddenly matters.
She eventually saw it. Went back, changed her content approach, got licensed music, created original concepts. Her content got better because she was forced to be creative, not derivative.
What this tells us: We protect our own IP fiercely whilst routinely violating others’. The law doesn’t care about that inconsistency.
How to Audit Your Content (Without Panicking)
I work with stressed, overwhelmed business owners. When I tell them to audit their content, I break it into three questions:
1. Would I be annoyed if someone did this to me?
That’s your gut check.
2. Does my brief ask for something to sound like, look like, or feel like something specific?
If the brief includes anyone’s name or references a specific brand’s work, red flag.
3. Can I explain where this idea came from without mentioning someone else’s work?
If you can’t describe your content without saying “it’s like that Nike ad” or “it sounds like that song,” you don’t have original content. You have a copy.
The Practical Audit Process
Look at three areas:
• Your website
• Social media from the past six months
• Video or audio content
For each piece, apply those three questions. If something fails, you have three options:
• Get proper licensing or permission
• Modify it enough to be genuinely original
• Pull it down
Most small businesses panic. They think this means starting from scratch. Usually it’s tweaking, not rebuilding.
Build this thinking into your process. Before you brief a freelancer or use AI, ask those three questions. Adds two minutes. Saves thousands in legal fees.
Red flag: If you’re using AI and your prompt includes “in the style of” followed by anyone’s name, stop.
How to apply this: When briefing work, describe what you want (authoritative, energetic, minimalist) without naming who you want it to sound or look like.
Why Tennessee Law Applies to Your Timaru Business
People get complacent. They think geography protects them.
Wrong.
The internet doesn’t respect borders. Neither does intellectual property law.
If a New Zealand business creates content that infringes rights under the ELVIS Act and that content is viewable in Tennessee (which anything online is), you’re potentially liable.
I have clients who sell locally but market through social media. Instagram, YouTube, TikTok. All accessible everywhere.
The ELVIS Act protects voice and likeness. Where you created the content doesn’t matter. Where your business is based doesn’t matter.
What matters:
• Where the content is consumed
• Where the rights holder chooses to pursue action
The ELVIS Act sets a precedent other jurisdictions will follow. New Zealand doesn’t have equivalent legislation yet. We’re watching the US because that’s where IP law leads.
If the Johnny Cash estate wins, similar protections get stronger globally.
Practical bit: even if you never face legal action, there’s reputational risk.
You’re a small business in Timaru. Someone notices you’re using a soundalike without permission. That gets shared. Your local reputation takes a hit.
People talk. In a small market like New Zealand, word spreads fast.
You can’t hide behind “but it’s legal here” when your customers think you’re dodgy.
Geographic reality: Your content is global the moment you post it online. Local laws don’t protect you from international IP rights.
Why AI Tools Are Making Voice Copyright Violations Easier
I’ve been working with AI since the 2000s. Back then it was clunky, limited.
Now, you type a prompt and get a professional voiceover mimicking anyone, music sounding like any artist, images in the style of any photographer. Minutes.
The barrier has disappeared. People create voice copyright violations without knowing.
What worries me: the tools are designed to make this easy. They’re marketed on replicating styles, voices, aesthetics. “Create music like Hans Zimmer!” “Generate images in the style of Ansel Adams!”
The tools encourage behaviour that creates voice copyright and IP risks.
Most small business owners don’t understand how these tools work. They think “AI created it, so it’s original.” They don’t see they’ve instructed AI to copy someone’s distinctive style or voice, potentially violating voice copyright.
It’s like hiring a forger, then acting surprised when someone questions authenticity.
What’s Coming Next
AI is getting good enough that copies are nearly indistinguishable from originals. You won’t be able to tell if that’s Morgan Freeman or AI trained on his voice.
Makes enforcement harder. Makes violations worse too.
The kicker: as AI gets better at detection, rights holders will scan the internet and find infringements automatically. You won’t fly under the radar.
Easier creation plus easier detection equals a perfect storm for small businesses. Most have no idea it’s coming.
The tech reality: AI lowers the barrier to infringement whilst simultaneously making detection more efficient. The window for “nobody will notice” is closing fast.
What to Do Right Now
I’m not here to make you panic. I’m here to help you think straight.
The Coca-Cola lawsuit isn’t about a big corporation getting caught. It’s a warning for every business playing fast and loose with other people’s creative work.
Immediate Actions
Start with those three questions. Apply them to existing content. Build them into your process.
When you brief freelancers, be specific about what you want, but don’t reference other people’s work as the template.
• Ask for “authoritative” instead of “Morgan Freeman-type”
• Request “energetic indie pop” instead of “sounds like Taylor Swift”
When you use AI tools, describe what you want without naming names. Focus on qualities, not people.
The judge test: If you’re unsure whether something crosses the line, ask yourself if you’d want to explain this decision in front of a judge.
Obscurity might protect you today. When your business grows (and I hope it does), that protection disappears.
Better to build on solid ground from the start.
Common Questions About Voice Copyright and Soundalikes
Does “royalty-free” music mean I can use anything that sounds similar?
No. Royalty-free means you don’t pay ongoing royalties for that specific track. If the track deliberately mimics a well-known song’s distinctive elements, you’re still at risk.
If I hire a voice actor who naturally sounds like a celebrity, is that legal?
There’s a difference between someone who naturally has a deep voice and hiring someone specifically because they sound like Morgan Freeman. Intent matters. Trying to make people think of that celebrity means you’re trading on their reputation.
Can I create content “inspired by” someone’s style?
Inspiration and imitation are different. Being inspired means creating something original with similar qualities. Imitation means copying distinctive elements to make people think of the original. The legal line is: are you trying to borrow someone’s recognisability?
What if my AI-generated content accidentally sounds like someone?
Accidental similarity is different from deliberate instruction. If your prompt was “create a voiceover” (generic) versus “create a voiceover like David Attenborough” (specific), the intent changes the risk profile.
I’m a small business. Will anyone sue me?
Size doesn’t protect you, especially as you grow. Rights holders increasingly use automated detection. One viral post changes everything. Legal defence costs money even if you win.
Does the ELVIS Act apply outside the United States?
If your content is viewable in Tennessee (which online content is), you’re potentially liable under the ELVIS Act regardless of where you’re based. IP law crosses borders when content does.
What should I do if I’ve already created content that might be problematic?
Apply the three-question test. If it fails, you have three options: get proper licensing, modify it to be genuinely original, or remove it. Don’t wait for growth to expose the problem.
How do I brief creative work without referencing existing examples?
Focus on qualities and characteristics. Instead of “like that Nike ad,” describe “minimalist, high-contrast, focuses on the product with minimal text.” Instead of “sounds like Ed Sheeran,” say “acoustic pop, warm vocals, intimate feel.”
Key Takeaways
• Most small businesses routinely violate IP without knowing because they brief work using “sounds like” or “looks like” references to existing creative work
• The Morgan Freeman test: if you want someone because of who they are (not what qualities they have), you’re trading on reputation without permission
• Viral success triggers legal exposure. What’s safe at 200 views becomes a lawsuit at 2 million views
• Geography doesn’t protect you. Your online content is globally accessible, which means global IP laws apply
• AI tools make infringement easier (generate anything in seconds) whilst detection gets better (automated scanning finds violations faster)
• Three questions before publishing: Would this annoy me? Does my brief reference someone else’s work? Can I explain this without mentioning another brand?
• The ELVIS Act sets precedent beyond Tennessee. New Zealand will likely follow similar voice copyright protections
• When briefing work, describe qualities (authoritative, energetic, minimalist) not people (Morgan Freeman-type, Taylor Swift-style)
• Small businesses face the same legal standards as corporations but without the resources to defend or settle. One lawsuit ends most small businesses
• Build IP compliance into your process now. Two minutes of checking saves thousands in legal fees and protects your reputation in small markets where word spreads fast
Need Legal Advice on Voice Copyright?
I’m a business consultant, not a lawyer. What I’ve shared here comes from working with clients on content marketing and helping them understand voice copyright and IP law.
If you’re dealing with a specific voice copyright situation or need legal guidance on your content, I’m happy to introduce you to a copyright lawyer in New Zealand who understands voice copyright issues.
Get in touch, and I’ll connect you with the right person.
About the Author
Christine Abela is a business consultant and tech strategist, specialising in content marketing, business automation, and voice copyright compliance for small businesses. With over 40 years in technology (starting as a programmer in 1981) and pioneering online work since 1988, Christine bridges the gap between technical expertise and practical business strategy.
Since 2000, Christine has helped small business owners in New Zealand navigate the complexities of digital marketing, IP compliance, and voice copyright issues. Her straight-talking, no-nonsense approach combines deep technical knowledge with real-world business consulting experience, making complex voice copyright and IP topics accessible to business owners.
Based in Timaru, New Zealand, Christine works with businesses across NZ, helping them build marketing systems that respect voice copyright whilst driving growth. She’s particularly focused on helping small businesses understand how voice copyright, AI-generated content, and IP law intersect in practical ways.
