Carl Sagan Rights Holder Sues Luma AI Over 'Cosmos' Voice Clip in Ad

What happened: Druyan-Sagan Associates Inc., the company controlling Carl Sagan's IP (run by his widow Ann Druyan), sued Luma AI on August 25, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The complaint alleges Luma used an eight-second audio clip from 'Cosmos' - Sagan's famous 'apple pie from scratch' observation - without permission in an advertisement for its Ray 3.14 generative video platform, posted on Facebook, Instagram, X, and other social platforms (the Facebook version had over 2.7 million views when the complaint was filed). Claims: copyright infringement, false endorsement under Lanham Act section 43(a), and common-law unfair competition. Luma had reportedly responded to a February cease-and-desist by calling the use 'de minimis' and denying consumer confusion.

Why it matters to creators: the case tests whether a few seconds of a recognizable creator's voice/recording used to market an AI product is actionable - pairing a copyright claim on the recording with a voice/identity false-endorsement claim. Sagan's voice had previously been licensed commercially (Apple, Fiat Chrysler, Netflix), establishing a market for such uses.

What is not yet known: Luma had not filed a response as of the latest court record; the case is pending, and no class certification is involved.