Download the court order here.
Hindi actress Preity Zinta has secured an ad interim injunction from the Bombay HC against Google, X, Meta, and several AI platforms over deepfakes, chatbot personas, and merchandise that misuse her name, image, and voice without consent. Justice Madhav J. Jamdar passed the order, directing Google, X, and Meta to take down or block access to roughly 275 infringing URLs within 72 hours.
Zinta first approached the HC in June seeking permission to sue intermediaries and other parties. Justice Abhay Ahuja granted that permission. Read MediaNama’s previous reporting here.
‘Personality rights’ and ‘publicity rights’ are protected under Article 19(1)(a): Bombay HC
Justice Jamdar held that the material on record made out “a very strong prima facie case,” finding that AI-generated content violated Zinta’s personality rights, publicity rights, and moral rights under the Copyright Act, 1957. The court also noted that these personality rights flow from the right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) and the right to life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution.
According to the court order, the actress’s lawyers submitted the deepfake videos, morphed and superimposed photographs, memes, AI voice simulations, and chatbot personas built in Zinta’s likeness. Senior Advocate Venkatesh Dhond, appearing for Zinta, told the court that certain content was also “misleading, defamatory, explicit or otherwise objectionable.”
Bombay HC’s ruling:
- An unnamed AI platform was directed to add “Preity Zinta” and “Preity G Zinta” to its character-creation and search blocklists, and to take steps preventing new AI characters from being built using her image and voice.
- The court ordered the unnamed defendants not to use Zinta’s name, nicknames, photo, likeness (such as her dimpled smile), voice, mannerisms, or character without her permission, including through AI-generated content, deepfakes, chatbots, and face-morphing.
- Bombay HC said that the accused cannot use Zinta’s name, nicknames, photo, smile, voice, mannerisms, or any part of her likeness without her permission. This includes the use of AI, deepfakes, or face-morphing. They are also not allowed to do this for money or personal benefit.
- If Google, X, or Meta receives a written notice about new infringing content similar to what is already listed, they must act within 72 hours and have the right to challenge such takedown requests.
Kash Collective, named as Defendant in the case, was accused of selling merchandise bearing Zinta’s name, image, and likeness without authorisation. It is important to note that the same entity (via kashcollectiveco.com) was also found selling unauthorised Aishwarya Rai Bachchan merchandise in a Delhi HC order last year. Read more about it here.
Domain name registrars named as defendants were separately directed to disclose the identities of owners of the alleged privacy-violating websites…
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