Topline
Druyan-Sagan Associates, the company that oversees Carl Sagan’s intellectual property, sued AI startup Luma AI on Tuesday alleging the firm used the late famed astronomer’s voice without permission to “dragoon him into acting as an unwitting spokesperson.”
The astronomer’s estate claims Luma used his voice to “dragoon him into acting as an unwitting spokesperson.”
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Key Facts
Druyan-Sagan Associates accused Luma of copyright infringement, false endorsement and common law unfair competition, according to a complaint filed Tuesday in the Central District of California.
Sagan’s estate alleges Luma used an eight-second clip of Sagan—during which the astronomer says, “If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe”—as the “centerpiece” of an advertisement through “unauthorized exploitation.”
Druyan-Sagan Associates said it notified Luma of the alleged infringement in early February, but the firm denied the claims and the advertisement remained on Facebook, drawing more than 2.7 million views as of the court filing date, according to the complaint.
The estate also claimed Luma “represented that it would remove” the post and said a decision to not do so has the “unmistakable hallmarks of willful and bad-faith misconduct.”
Druyam-Sagan Associates requested an order barring Luma from using the advertisement with Sagan’s voice and award damages that could include Luma’s profits, enhanced damages and attorney fees.
key background
Druyan-Sagan, formerly Carl Sagan Productions, has licensed Sagan’s voice and likeness for decades, including in 2017 for an iPhone campaign by Apple, Fiat Chrysler in 2019 and Netflix in 2025. The estate is now managed by Ann Druyan, Sagan’s widow, and claims Luma’s advertisement eroded the exclusivity associated with Sagan’s branding. Luma raised $900 million from the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s AI arm at a $4 billion valuation in November, before another funding round in March valuing the startup at $9 billion. The company projected a workforce of 200 newly hired employees by 2027.
surprising fact
Scarlett Johansson issued a legal threat against OpenAI in 2024 after the AI firm’s now-pulled chatbot voice Sky sounded like her voice. OpenAI acknowledged the similarities between Sky and Johansson, but said the voice was “not an imitation” and belonged to a “different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice.”