C&P Sues Warner Bros on Behalf of "Sorting Hat" Voice Actor Marc Silk

Yesterday, Clinton & Peed filed a complaint in federal court in California against Warner Bros on behalf of British voice actor Marc Silk and his company, The Production Pit Limited. The complaint alleges that (with the permission of Warner Bros and J.K. Rowling) Mr. Silk created recordings of certain performances in which he portrayed the talking “Sorting Hat” of the Harry Potter universe. Mr. Silk granted permission for these recordings to be used only in connection with a particular plush animatronic “Sorting Hat” toy.

Years later, however, he discovered that Warner has exploited the recordings around the world in consumer products made by companies as prominent as LEGO and Build-A-Bear, on television programs such as The Masked Singer, and in various Harry Potter-themed visitor attractions including Universal Studios. Mr. Silk’s Sorting Hat performance has become so ubiquitous that the official Harry Potter online shop incorrectly describes his voice recordings as “authentic audio clips from the movies.” By this lawsuit, Mr. Silk seeks to receive fair compensation for his contributions to this beloved franchise.

The case has been covered by Reuters, Bloomberg Law News, and Above the Law.

Serving as lead counsel is partner Tim Clinton, and local counsel are Collin Seals and Mark Phillips of Seals Phillips LLP.