Overview
- The John R. Cash Revocable Trust filed the federal complaint on Nov. 25 in the Middle District of Tennessee, seeking to halt the ad and recover damages above $75,000.
- The estate says Coca-Cola’s “Go the Distance” spot in its “Fan Work Is Thirsty Work” campaign used tribute singer Shawn Barker to perform a vocal “remarkably” like Cash, airing during college football since August.
- Claims cite Tennessee’s ELVIS Act along with federal false‑endorsement under the Lanham Act and state consumer‑protection and right‑of‑publicity statutes, with requests for injunctive and monetary relief.
- The filing notes Cash’s voice has been licensed only twice since his death, both for Super Bowl placements, and alleges Coca‑Cola did not seek permission for this commercial.
- Coca‑Cola has not issued a public response, and legal observers view the suit as the first major test of the ELVIS Act, with the complaint not alleging any use of AI.