Bombay High Court protects Asha Bhosle's personality rights against AI misuse

Bombay HC has protected Asha Bhosle from unauthorized use of her voice and likeness by AI platforms and online marketplaces, affirming her personality rights

The Bombay High Court has issued an order protecting veteran playback singer Asha Bhosle from the unauthorized use of her identity by artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, e-commerce sites, and other parties. The court’s decision prevents these entities from using her voice, image, or likeness without her explicit permission.

Asha Bhosle

Justice Arif S Doctor, who issued the order, noted that using a celebrity's personal features—such as their name, voice, photographs, or likeness—without their consent appears, on the surface, to infringe upon their personality rights.

Quoting a report by Bar and Bench, the court emphasized that making AI tools available to replicate a celebrity's voice without consent amounts to a violation of their identity rights. These tools allow for unauthorized duplication and modification of a celebrity's voice, which the court recognized as a significant part of their public and personal identity.

Bhosle approached the court after discovering several instances of misuse. Among the named parties were AI company Mayk, e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart, tech platform Google, and an independent artist.

Additionally, the court instructed the involved platforms and sellers to take down all content and product listings that violated Bhosle’s rights. They were also ordered to provide the singer with information about the individuals responsible for the infringing content, enabling her to take further legal action if necessary.