[hooloovoo_zoo]

Both cases seem to have also borrowed from the artists’ songs too however. That could perhaps make a difference.

[pseudalopex]

Bette Midler and Tom Waits didn't control their songs when they sued the companies.

[hooloovoo_zoo]

But it makes it more likely that the listener will associate the commercial with the artist than just using the voice.

[pseudalopex]

The Midler v. Ford decision said her voice was distinctive. Not the song.

OpenAI didn't just use a voice like Scarlett Johansson's. They used it in an AI system they wanted people to associate with AI from movies and the movie where Johansson played an AI particularly.[1][2]

[1] https://blog.samaltman.com/gpt-4o

[2] https://x.com/sama/status/1790075827666796666

[deprecative]

True to an extent. I'd argue that celebrity of a certain level would make one's voice recognizable and thus confusion can happen.