Justice RI Chagla affirmed that Arijit Singh’s individual liberties protects his name, voice, physical appearance, special traits and image in the public eye.
Singer Arijit Singh made the headlines on social media when Bombay High Court temporarily intervened in his copyright infringement lawsuit. This legal battle deals with AI platforms and other entities that have purportedly violated his personal rights. According to Justice RI Chagla, Singh’s personal rights and his right to publicity include elements such as his name, voice, image, and personal brand. The court underlined how unauthorized usage of a celebrity’s voice infringes on their individual rights.
What Exactly Happened In Arijit Singh’s Case?
The Bar and Bench of the Bombay High Court quoted, “This form of technological exploitation not only infringes upon the individual’s right to control and protect their own likeness and voice but also undermines their ability to prevent commercial and deceptive uses of their identity.” The Bombay High Court further highlighted the threat posed to artists and their potential earnings because of AI-generated content specifically designed to exploit them. The defendants are strategically attracting users to their websites and AI platforms by leveraging Arijit’s popularity, thereby endangering their rights to their personal brand, as expressly pointed out in the court’s judgment.
AI technology is increasingly being harnessed to fabricate false content including voice recordings and videos that misrepresents the person filing the lawsuit. Allowing such applications without restrictions can critically damage the complainant’s professional standing and opens up the gateway for misuse by those harbouring harmful intentions.
Arijit Singh’s Appeal
Arijit Singh has voiced an appeal for protections over the uniqueness of his identity, inclusive of his name, voice, signature, image, and other distinguishing traits. This appeal came to light when he discovered that AI platforms were duplicating his persona using high-end algorithms. The degree to which this impersonation extended was such, that one platform used text-to-speech technology to imitate his voice in their communications.
Misuse of Arijit’s Brand Name
The misuse of a Arijit’s identity has been noted on different non-AI platforms. There was an incident in Bangalore where a local bar promoted an event deceptively using his name and picture, all without his consent. Meanwhile, another group took advantage of his reputation, incorporating his images in a range of merchandises online. In a separate instance, some even went on to the extent of claiming online domains under his name unauthorised.
Arijit’s attorney made a case stating that he has total control over his personal attributes. As such, any attempts by the defendants to commercially benefit from these without his permission should be strictly disallowed, as a means to protect his image. The attorney further elucidated that any unsanctioned alterations or distribution of Singh’s performances, which could potentially harm his public image, would essentially infringe on his ethical rights under Section 38-B of the Copyright Act of 1957.
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