Bombay High Court upholds Arijit Singh's personality rights, bans AI content mimicking him
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has granted relief to renowned composer-singer Arijit Singh, ruling that AI tools generating content using a celebrity's voice, image, or other attributes without consent violate their "personality rights." The court emphasised that celebrities are particularly vulnerable to unauthorised content generation through AI tools. Justice R I Chagla, in an interim order on July 26, restrained eight online platforms from exploiting Singh's personality rights and directed the removal of all such content and voice conversion tools.
Singh filed the petition claiming that these platforms provide AI tools capable of synthesising artificial sound recordings that mimic his voice, mannerisms, and other personal attributes. His lawyer, Hiren Kamod, stated that Singh has deliberately avoided brand endorsements or commercialization of his personality traits for years. The court agreed with Singh’s request for interim relief, highlighting the concerning trend of unauthorised generative AI content targeting celebrities, particularly performers.
Justice Chagla noted that while freedom of speech allows for critique and commentary, it does not permit the exploitation of a celebrity's persona for commercial gain. He stated, “Making AI tools available that enable the conversion of any voice into that of a celebrity without his/her permission constitutes a violation of the celebrity's personality rights.” The court emphasised that these tools facilitate the unauthorised appropriation and manipulation of a celebrity’s voice, a crucial aspect of their personal identity.
The High Court underscored that such use of AI technology undermines celebrities’ ability to prevent deceptive uses of their identity, as platforms are encouraging users to create counterfeit sound recordings and videos. Justice Chagla noted Singh's immense goodwill and reputation, stating, "Prima facie, I am of the view that the plaintiff's personality traits, including his name, voice, photograph/caricature, image, likeness, persona, and other attributes, are protectable elements of his personality rights."
Advocate Kamod informed the court of Singh's humble beginnings in a small town and his rise to global fame as a celebrated singer. The petition, filed through Legasis Partners, sought protection for Singh's personality rights against unauthorised commercial exploitation and misuse. It highlighted that various YouTube channels were creating memes and GIFs that caused ridicule, embarrassment, and humiliation, ultimately affecting Singh's reputation. PTI