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0 pointsprepend2y ago0 comments

I recall the basics from my contracts law class that it’s not against the law to hire an impersonator as long as you don’t claim it’s the celebrity.

So it’s legal to hire someone who sounds like SJ. And likely legal to create a model that sounds like her. But there will likely need to be some disclaimer saying it’s not her voice.

I expect that OpenAI’s defense will be something like “We wanted SJ. She said no, so we made a voice that sounded like her but wasn’t her.” It will be interesting to see what happens.

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3 comments · 2 top-level

staticman22y ago· 1 in thread

Odd. This wouldn't typically be covered in contracts class since it's an intellectual property issue beyond the scope of a contracts class. Scarlet Johansen didn't have a contract with OpenAI after all.

What you recall also doesn't sound correct given right of publicity laws.

prependOP2y ago

Tell it to my professor :) I guess I was lucky. And perhaps I was taught incorrectly or remember incorrectly.

But I experience lots of ads with impersonators so maybe they just aren’t sued enough.

Also, Jack Nicholson never stopped Christian Slater from acting, so there must be some room for impersonation.

pseudalopex2y ago

Bette Midler and Tom Waits won cases where the companies didn't claim the impersonators were them.

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