The Delhi High Court has issued an ex parte ad-interim injunction in favor of singer Jubin Nautiyal. The injunction restrains various AI platforms, online intermediaries, e-commerce websites, and unidentified entities from exploiting his name, voice, image, and other personal attributes for commercial purposes. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela granted this order in response to a commercial suit filed by Nautiyal seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights.
The court noted that Nautiyal has a strong case, given his well-known and popular personality. It emphasized the importance of preventing irreparable harm to the singer’s reputation and identity. Nautiyal’s lawsuit highlighted that his personality/publicity rights encompass various aspects such as his name, voice, vocal style, image, and likeness. It accused certain defendants, including AI platforms, of using technologies like Machine Learning and generative AI to create unauthorized content mimicking Nautiyal’s voice and appearance.
The court’s order prohibits the defendants from using Nautiyal’s personality rights through various means like advertisements, merchandise, AI voice models, and digital avatars. Online platforms are directed to remove infringing content and disclose details of violators. The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications have been involved to ensure compliance with the court’s directives.
