‘Justice prevails’: Anil Kapoor on winning ‘landmark judgement against AI’

Anil Kapoor filed a lawsuit against misuse of his image, voice and other personality attributes.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday restrained websites and other platforms from misusing the name, image, voice and other attributes of personality of Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor for commercial gain in a judgement that international media has pegged as a landmark victory against artificial intelligence (AI).

“My intention is not to interfere with anyone's freedom or expression or to penalise anyone. My personality is my life's work and I've worked hard to build it,” said Anil Kapoor. “With this lawsuit, I'm seeking protection of my personality rights; to prevent against its misuse in any way, particularly in the current scenario with rapid changes in technology and tools like artificial intelligence that are easily misused to the detriment of the owners of such rights.”

American entertainment website Variety called it a “landmark judgement” against AI.

In an interview with Variety, Anil Kapoor, 67, said: “I’m very happy with this court order, which has come in my favor, and I think it’s very progressive and great for not only me but for other actors also.

“Because of the way technology and the AI technology, which is which is evolving every day [and] which can completely take advantage of and be misused commercially, as well as where my image, voice, morphing, GIFs and deep fakes are concerned, I can straight away, if that happens, send a court order and injunction and they have to pull it down,” the Dil Dhadakne Do actor said.

Justice must, and does prevail https://t.co/AFhPRICmS3

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— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) September 20, 2023

Kapoor had filed a lawsuit in Delhi High Court for protection of his personality rights including his name, image, likeness, voice and other attributes of his personality, including his catchphrase “jhakaas.”

"Jhakaas", a Marathi slang meaning superb that was first used by the actor in the 1985 movie Yudh, is exclusively associated with Anil Kapoor due to his unique way of delivering it, the court was told.

Kapoor's counsel referred to the unauthorised sale of merchandise, collection of fees by using his photograph as a motivational speaker, morphing his image in a derogatory manner, and selling pictures with forged autographs and the "jhakaas" catchphrase, GIF images and stickers, among others.

"Using the plaintiff's name, voice, dialogue, image in illegal manner, that too for commercial purposes, cannot be permitted. Court cannot turn a blind eye to such misuse of personality," Justice Prathiba M Singh said while passing the ex-parte interim order on the lawsuit.

"Defendants 1-16 are restrained from using in any manner the plaintiff Anil Kapoor's name, image, voice, likeliness or personality or any other attribute of his personality to create any merchandise, ringtones, or in any manner misuse the plaintiff's name, voice and other elements by using technological tools such as artificial intelligence, face morphing, GIFs for monetary gains or otherwise," ordered the court.

(With inputs from PTI)