Bombay HC Protects Arijit Singh’s Personality Rights, Restricts AI Content Creation

The Bombay High Court has granted relief to 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.”

Celebrities are especially vulnerable to unauthorized content generation through AI tools, the court noted.

A single bench of Justice R. I. Chagla restrained eight online platforms from using Singh’s “personality rights” and directed them to remove all such content and voice conversion tools. The singer had filed the petition alleging that these platforms offer AI tools to create artificial sound recordings by mimicking his voice, mannerisms, and other attributes.

Singh’s lawyer, Hiren Kamod, stated that the singer has deliberately avoided brand endorsements and commercialization of his personality traits in recent years. The high court concurred that Singh should be granted interim relief.

Justice Chagla expressed concern over the vulnerability of celebrities, particularly performers, to unauthorized generative AI content.

The judge emphasized that while freedom of speech and expression allows for critique and commentary, it does not permit the exploitation of a celebrity’s persona for commercial gain.

“The availability of AI tools that enable the conversion of any voice into that of a celebrity without their permission constitutes a violation of the celebrity’s personality rights,” he stated.

Such tools facilitate the “unauthorized appropriation and manipulation” of a celebrity’s voice, a crucial element of their personal identity, the court noted. The use of AI technology in this manner also undermines celebrities’ ability to prevent “deceptive uses of their identity,” the high court observed, adding that these platforms encourage internet users to create counterfeit sound recordings and videos.

Justice Chagla acknowledged Singh’s substantial goodwill and reputation built over a successful career, 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 of his personality are protectable elements of his personality rights.”

Advocate Kamod informed the court that Arijit Singh, who hails from a small town and has humble beginnings, is now one of the most celebrated singers globally. The petition, filed through Legasis Partners, sought protection of Singh’s personality rights concerning his name, voice, signatures, photograph, image, caricature, likeness, persona, and other personal attributes against unauthorized commercial exploitation and misuse. The petition also highlighted that several YouTube channels were creating memes and GIFs that caused ridicule, embarrassment, and humiliation, affecting the singer’s reputation.

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