Anil Kapoor Wins Landmark Ruling Against AI: Protecting Personality Rights

Anil Kapoor, a renowned Indian actor, has achieved a significant victory in his legal battle against artificial intelligence. Kapoor, known for his roles in films such as Slumdog Millionaire and Thank You For Coming, filed a lawsuit in the Delhi High Court to safeguard his personality rights, encompassing his name, image, voice, and other attributes of his likeness.

The court granted an order that recognizes Kapoor’s personality rights and prohibits the unauthorized use of his attributes by others. Importantly, this ruling applies globally and across various media formats. Kapoor hailed the decision as progressive, not only benefiting himself but also protecting other actors.

Kapoor expressed concerns over the potential misuse of AI for commercial purposes, and the court order is expected to provide protection against various forms of exploitation, including the creation of GIFs and deepfake videos using the actor’s likeness. However, the enforceability of this ruling remains uncertain.

The actor’s legal action was initiated due to the circulation of morphed videos featuring a famous phrase from his 1985 film, Yudh. This phrase is now also safeguarded by the court order. Kapoor, who is represented by Artist International Group in Hollywood, voiced his support for fellow actors and artists during the ongoing strikes by the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA).

Kapoor emphasized the importance of protecting the rights of actors and artists, regardless of their popularity or fame. The matter of AI is of great concern to both actors and writers in Hollywood, who are currently engaged in strikes over various issues, including fair compensation and the potential extensive use of AI by major movie and TV studios.

Sources:
– Variety