Apple sued over Jamie xx iPhone advert

Jerome Lawson, lead singer of band The Persuasions, has filed a complaint against Apple for allegedly violating his right of publicity in an iPhone 6 advertisement.

The case, which was filed on Tuesday, January 24 at the Superior Court of California, alleged that Apple had used a song by Jamie xx which featured Lawson’s voice in an advertisement.

In 2015, Apple used Jamie xx’s song “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” in a TV commercial.

Jamie xx’s song “prominently” sampled Lawson’s vocal track from The Persuasions’ 1971 song “Good Times”.

Lawson argued in the complaint that the recording should not be used in a TV commercial without his consent and that it violates his right of publicity under California law.

The lawsuit said: “Lawson’s voice is prominent and recognisable in the Apple commercial.”

It added that Lawson’s fans who saw the commercial were “deceived into falsely believing that Lawson endorsed Apple and the iPhone and/or that Lawson consented to the use of his voice to advertise Apple’s products”.

Lawson has asked the court for damages which, according to him, may be up to $10 million.

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