Hank Azaria Wins Funny Voice Copyright Suit

When does a voice become a character, with accompanying intellectual property rights? That was the question in a recent case between Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria and another comedian, Craig Bierko. The two actors had entertained one another at parties with a similar voice, meant to sound like an old-fashioned baseball announcer. But when Azaria went forward with a mockumentary based on a character who used that voice, Bierko sued. Ultimately the court decided that, based on descriptions of the voice and details created to accompany it, Azaria had developed a “sufficiently distinct” character to warrant copyright protection. Alternately, Bierko’s vague description of a “white, male baseball announcer,” did not distinguish the character enough to be considered copyrightable.