OAN’s Brooke Mallory
10:09am – Monday, January 29, 2024
The estate of the late stand-up comedy legend George Carlin is now targeting a media company that used artificial intelligence (AI) to imitate the comedian’s style and content to create an hour-long comedy special. I’m appealing.
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The lawsuit was filed Thursday in federal court in Los Angeles, and the judge told the podcast company Dudessy that Carlin had made comments about modern times.
Carlin died of congestive heart failure in 2008.
Kelly Carlin, the daughter of comedian George Carlin, said the film was “a shoddy copy cobbled together by unscrupulous people to capitalize on my father’s rabid fan base and extraordinary goodwill.” ” he said.
The lawsuit names the Carlin Estate and its executor, Jerrold Hamza, as plaintiffs. The lawsuit alleges that Carlin’s copyright and portrait rights have been violated. Dudesy podcast hosts Will Sasso and Chad Krutgen were named as defendants in the lawsuit.
Sasso is an actor and comedian, while Krutgen is a journalist and author.
“None of the defendants had permission to use Carlin’s likeness in the AI-generated ‘George Carlin Special,’ nor did they have a license to use the late comedian’s copyrighted work,” the complaint states. is stated.
The AI engine powered by Dudesy was featured exclusively on YouTube on January 9ththclaimed that he had heard 50 years’ worth of content from the comic and had “done my best to imitate his voice, rhythm, demeanor, and the subjects that would interest him today.”
The plaintiffs argue that if the AI voice was in fact created that way, Carlin’s copyright was in fact infringed, as some listeners have questioned its alleged origin. claims.
This lawsuit is one of the first of many significant legal actions to be taken to stop all forms of reuse of celebrity photos and likenesses.
Josh Schiller, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said in a statement that the lawsuit is against “human beings who use AI to violate laws, violate intellectual property rights, and disregard common sense,” and not just against AI. Stated.
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