Activision and Anthony Fantano Face Legal Battles Over TikTok Audio Copying and Pizza Meme

Activision has filed a lawsuit against internet personality Anthony Fantano, seeking a declaration that syncing his viral audio clip to one of its TikTok videos did not violate his publicity rights or imply his endorsement of the company. Activision claims that TikTok's terms of service allow them to use the audio and that Fantano had created an extortionate "scheme" to profit from the viral audio through threats of litigation. Fantano allegedly sent Activision a cease-and-desist letter and demanded a settlement payment, prompting the lawsuit. The case highlights the misuse of intellectual property law to leverage unfair cash payments from social media users.