In a significant ruling, the Bombay High Court, in Arijit Singh v. Codible Ventures LLP,^[1] granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction prohibiting the use of Arijit Singh’s name, voice, image, and other personal attributes without consent, particularly through artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

The case arose from widespread misuse of Arijit Singh’s persona, including AI voice cloning, unauthorized merchandise sales, false event associations, and infringing domain names. Arijit Singh, a celebrated playback singer, sought protection for his personality rights and moral rights under the Copyright Act, 1957 (‘Copyright Act’). Defendants included, inter alia, AI platforms, merchandise sellers, and domain name registrants using Arijit Singh’s identity without permission.

Recognizing the threat posed by AI tools that can clone voices or create deepfakes, the Court held that celebrities have protectable personality rights over various attributes of their persona. The Court emphasized that commercial exploitation of a celebrity’s persona without consent is impermissible, even while acknowledging free speech concerns. This Order reinforces the commitment of Indian Courts to safeguarding personality rights within the evolving landscape of AI technologies.

[1] Arijit Singh v. Codible Ventures LLP, 2024 SCC OnLine Bom 2445.