Wylie Gustafson, whose yodel captured the freewheeling spirit of the popular Internet portal, claimed in a lawsuit that he had not been paid by the Sunnyvale, California-based company for the continued use of his voice.

Gustafson, founder of the Wylie & the Wild West country band, said he had been hired in 1996 to create and record the signature yodel for Yahoo's first television commercial.

He was paid $590 for his performance with the understanding his yodel would only be used for that specific commercial, he said. The company never told him his stylized vocal arc would be used in thousands of subsequent commercials, he said.

A spokesman for Gustafson was not immediately available for comment on Monday.

Yahoo spokeswoman Diana Lee declined to comment on the settlement, saying the company has a policy of not discussing specific legal issues.