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Derrick W
Derrick W asked in Business & FinanceAdvertising & MarketingOther - Advertising & Marketing · 8 years ago

Can I legally use a clip of an actor's voice in an advertisement?

I found a clip online of Jimmy Stewart saying something in an interview that directly relates to an advertisement I am making. It is sort of a public service announcement. Would that be legal to do? I only need to use one or two sentences from the clip (voice only, no image).

Thanks!

1 Answer

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  • smallbizperson
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    An actor's voice and image are his intellectual property. After he dies, his voice recordings and images belong to his estate. You can only use a dead actor's voice or image with written permission from his estate, otherwise you open yourself to a lawsuit. You also run the risk, if the lines are from a movie, of being sued by the owner to the rights to the film.

    You would be better served by having an voice actor speak (original) lines that you need for your commercial.

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