Court Restrains Unauthorized Use of Acharya Manish’s Persona Through AI-Manipulated Content
In a significant ruling, the Delhi High Court has granted an interim injunction in favor of renowned Ayurvedic Guru, Acharya Manish, against unknown entities, referred to as John Doe, and Meta Platforms Inc., the operators of Facebook and Instagram. The injunction restrains them from the unauthorized use and exploitation of Acharya Manish's personality attributes, including his name, image, voice, and other aspects of his persona, for commercial purposes without consent.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Saurabh Banerjee, addresses the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to clone Acharya Manish’s voice and create manipulated content that falsely endorses products not associated with him. The court recognized a prima facie case for the protection of Acharya Manish's personality rights, noting the deliberate attempt to capitalize on his goodwill and credibility.
The plaintiffs, represented by Senior Advocate Mr. Chander M. Lall, argued that Acharya Manish is a widely recognized figure in Ayurveda and integrative healthcare, with a strong media presence and a reputation for credibility and trust. The unauthorized use of his persona, they contended, infringes on his personality and publicity rights.
The court's order restrains the defendants from using Acharya Manish's trademarks, copyrights, and other personality attributes in any form across all mediums. Meta Platforms Inc. has been directed to disable and block access to the infringing content hosted on its platforms. The court also exempted the plaintiffs from pre-institution mediation, citing the nature of the relief sought and precedent judgments.
The judgment underscores the legal recognition of personality rights in India, particularly in the context of emerging technologies like AI. It highlights the necessity for legal mechanisms to protect individuals from the unauthorized commercial exploitation of their persona.
Bottom line:-
Personality Rights - Court grants interim injunction restraining defendants from unauthorized use, exploitation, and misappropriation of plaintiff's name, image, voice, and other attributes of his persona for commercial exploitation without consent.
Statutory provision(s): Commercial Courts Act, 2015 Section 12A, Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 Section 151, Order XXXIX Rule 3 of CPC, Trade Marks Act, 1999
Manish Grover v. John Doe, (Delhi) : Law Finder Doc id # 2920625
