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Comment by airstrike | Hacker News Reader

if my product doesn't imply or state that the voice is Morgan Freeman's, I don't think they really have a case? at least not based on common sense

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If the voice was chosen specifically to sound like Morgan Freeman, for the purpose of making listeners think it's Morgan Freeman when they hear it, it seems reasonable for it to run afoul of Morgan Freeman's right to publicity.

I owe nothing to Morgan Freeman just because I sound like him, unless I'm intentionally misleading listeners by advertising his name or implying as much

If they can reasonably argue that you're being hired because you sound like Morgan Freeman and you wouldn't get the job otherwise, then they likely have a case.

Not if "sound like Morgan Freeman" is a proxy for "have a nice-sounding voice". They could prefer people who sound like Morgan Freeman even if they are not representing to listeners that the voice is that of Morgan Freeman. Big distinction there.

> I owe nothing to Morgan Freeman just because I sound like him

What if a company chooses you as a voice artist largely on the basis that you sound like Morgan Freeman?

Is it a case of (a) they like Morgan Freeman's voice as a general preference (and therefore want someone who has a nice-sounding voice such as Morgan Freeman's for features such as how it sounds smart, deep, engaging, I don't know) or (b) they want someone who sound like Morgan Freeman to somehow represent to listeners that it's Morgan Freeman's voice?

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