Paramount is under fire for using Paul Harvey's voice in an episode of Landman without proper permission. The late broadcaster's estate filed a lawsuit in federal court, accusing the studio of copyright infringement.
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The complaint centers on a 90-second clip featured in the Season 1 finale. The audio comes from Harvey's iconic radio show, The Rest of the Story, which aired from 1976 to 2008. The estate claims Paramount used the recording without securing rights through Paulynne, the company Harvey and his wife Lynne founded.
Lawsuit Targets 'Landman' Finale
The disputed clip appears in the opening of Episode 10, titled The Crumbs of Hope. It features Harvey's familiar phrase, "Now the rest of the story." The estate says the show's producers used that line deliberately to signal Harvey as the source.
The lawsuit also alleges that the audio was edited to match the show's theme. According to the complaint, the narration was altered to suggest that gas prices rise not from market forces, but due to manipulation by governments and corporations. The estate says this twist served Landman's pro-oil industry tone and misrepresented Harvey's original message.
Alleged Unanswered Requests
Paulynne's legal team says they tried to resolve the issue quietly. In March, attorneys reached out to Paramount and its parent company, Paramount Global. They say the studio never responded.
"In the world of audio licensing, 90 seconds is an eternity," said Jaime Wolf, lead attorney for Paulynne. "Paramount not only used a long, copyrighted clip without approval, but they also twisted Harvey's words by editing his broadcast."
Now the estate is asking the court to intervene. They want the clip removed from the episode. They also want Paramount to stop using any part of Harvey's voice in future episodes. On top of that, they're seeking damages, claiming Paramount profited from the use while Paulynne lost licensing income.
The complaint calls Paramount's actions "willful" and "ongoing."
Season 2 of Landman is currently filming and set to premiere in November. Paramount has not issued a public response to the lawsuit.
