Google Can't Block Ex-NPR Host Voice Suit with Copyright Shield

Google LLC can’t use copyright arguments to keep a former National Public Radio personality’s right of publicity suit over AI mimicry of his voice in federal court, a California federal judge said.

David Greene’s claims are based on Google’s NotebookLM AI podcasting product’s output, generating his voice for profit, rather than on copying his voice as an input, the US District Court for the Northern District of California said. The Copyright Act only preempts claims that fall within the subject matter of copyright, and Greene didn’t claim that any tangible copyrighted expression was reproduced, the court said.

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