Warner Bros Faces Lawsuit Over ‘Harry Potter’ Sorting Hat Toy Voice Copyrights
May 23 (Reuters) – Warner Bros (WBD.O), opens new tab is facing a lawsuit from a British actor who voiced a toy version of the Sorting Hat from the “Harry Potter” series after the entertainment company allegedly misused his voice recordings.
Marc Silk’s company told the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, opens new tab on Wednesday that Warner infringed his copyrights by featuring his voice lines in other Potter-related toys, ads and attractions without paying him.
Representatives for Warner did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the complaint on Thursday.
“By this lawsuit, Mr. Silk seeks only to receive fair compensation for his contributions to this beloved franchise,” Silk’s attorney Tim Clinton of Clinton & Peed said in a statement.
Silk has done voice work for several films, television shows and video games including “Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace” and “Bob the Builder,” according to his website.
The Sorting Hat tells wizarding students which house they will join in the “Harry Potter” series. According to the lawsuit, Silk provided the voice of the Sorting Hat with Warner’s approval for a U.K. company’s planned animatronic toy of the character in 2007.
Silk told the court that he learned in 2021 that Warner had been using his recordings in other contexts, including in theme park attractions and different Sorting Hat toys. Silk said he had only given permission to use his voice in the original animatronic toy and accused Warner of infringing his copyrights.
Silk’s company asked the court for Warner’s profits from the use of his voice recordings and an order for the company to stop using them without his permission.
The case is The Production Pit Ltd v. Warner Bros Entertainment Inc, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, No. 5:24-cv-01097.
For Silk: Timothy Clinton of Clinton & Peed, Collin Seals and Mark Phillips of Seals Phillips
