‘Justice prevails’: Anil Kapoor on winning ‘landmark judgement against AI’
The Delhi High Court issued a significant judgment that has been recognized internationally as a landmark victory against the misuse of the name, image, voice, and other attributes of Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor for commercial purposes. In this judgment, the court has restrained various websites and platforms from exploiting these attributes of Anil Kapoor for financial gain.
In response to the judgment, Anil Kapoor emphasized that his intention is not to impede freedom of expression or penalize anyone. He stated that his personality is the result of years of hard work, and he seeks protection of his personality rights to prevent any misuse, especially in the context of rapidly evolving technology and tools like artificial intelligence that can be easily exploited to the detriment of individuals’ rights.
International media outlets, including the American entertainment website Variety, have referred to this ruling as a “landmark judgment” against the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) in manipulating the attributes and likeness of individuals for commercial purposes. This judgment underscores the importance of safeguarding the rights and identities of individuals in an era where technology and AI tools have the potential to be misused.
In an interview with Variety, 67-year-old Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor expressed his satisfaction with the court order that ruled in his favor. He lauded the judgment as progressive and beneficial not only for himself but also for other actors and individuals in the industry.
Kapoor highlighted the rapid evolution of technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), and its potential for commercial misuse. He emphasized the significance of the court order in protecting his image, voice, and other attributes from exploitation through methods like morphing, GIFs, and deep fakes.
Kapoor noted that with the court order, he now has the ability to swiftly take legal action and obtain injunctions against any unauthorized commercial misuse of his likeness or attributes. This legal protection serves as a safeguard against the potential misuse of technology that could compromise an individual’s identity and reputation in the digital age.
After the judgment, Anil Kapoor expressed his sentiment with a concise but powerful statement: “Just must, and does prevail.”
Kapoor had initiated legal action by filing a lawsuit in the Delhi High Court seeking protection for his personality rights, which encompassed various aspects such as his name, image, likeness, voice, and even his famous catchphrase “jhakaas.”
The catchphrase “jhakaas,” a Marathi slang term meaning superb, became closely associated with Anil Kapoor due to his unique delivery of it in the 1985 movie “Yudh.” Kapoor’s legal counsel cited instances of unauthorized merchandise sales, the collection of fees using his photograph as a motivational speaker, the derogatory morphing of his image, the sale of pictures with forged autographs, and the use of the “jhakaas” catchphrase in GIF images and stickers, among other unauthorized commercial uses.
Justice Prathiba M Singh, while issuing an ex-parte interim order on the lawsuit, emphasized that the unauthorized and commercial misuse of the plaintiff’s name, voice, dialogue, and image cannot be permitted, and the court cannot ignore such infringements of personality rights. This legal action serves as a precedent for the protection of personality rights and the prevention of unauthorized commercial exploitation of celebrities’ attributes.
The court’s order is unequivocal in its directives, restraining Defendants 1-16 from exploiting any aspect of Anil Kapoor’s personality for various purposes. It encompasses a range of prohibitions, including the creation of merchandise, the development of ringtones, and the misuse of Kapoor’s name, image, voice, or any other aspect of his personality. Furthermore, the order explicitly prohibits the use of technological tools such as artificial intelligence, face morphing, and GIFs for the purpose of exploiting Kapoor’s attributes, whether for monetary gain or any other reason. This comprehensive legal protection safeguards Anil Kapoor’s personality rights and serves as a crucial measure to prevent unauthorized commercial or technological exploitation of his identity and unique attributes.
