“I think the decision is very progressive"
Anil Kapoor has won a landmark legal battle in a New Delhi court over unauthorised AI use of his likeness.
The actor won an interim order against a total of 16 defendants.
The court has ordered for them to be “restrained from in any manner utilising Anil Kapoor’s name, likeness, image, voice or any other aspect of his persona to create any merchandise, ringtones… either for monetary gain or otherwise.”
This means that if anyone wishes to use Anil’s name, voice or character names such as ‘Mr India’ and ‘Lakhan’, they would need his permission.
Failure to obtain his permission will mean legal issues as well as other consequences.
Anil Kapoor said: “I think the decision is very progressive and great not only for me but for other actors also, because of the way AI technology is evolving every day.
“I’m very happy with this court order, which has come in my favour, and I think it’s very progressive and great, not only for me but for other actors also.
“Because of the way technology and the AI technology, which is evolving every day, and can completely take advantage of and be misused commercially, as well as where my image, voice, morphing, GIFs, and deep fakes are concerned.
“If that happens, I can immediately send a court order and injunction and they have to pull it down.”
Anil also stated that he was concerned about the use of his famous statement word ‘Jhakaas’.
The court order comes at a crucial point in the struggle between the US writers’ and actors’ unions and the bodies representing studios.
Anil expressed his solidarity with striking actors in the US and hoped they would welcome his victory as “great positive news”.
He continued: “I am always, completely with them in every which way, and I feel their rights should be protected, because everybody, big, small, popular, not popular – every actor has the right to protect themselves.
“It’s not only for me.
“Today I’m here to protect myself, but when I’m not there, the family should have the right to protect my personality and gain from it in the future.”
In March 2023, Michael Douglas revealed he was considering licensing his name and likeness “so the rights go to my family rather than to the metaverse”.
He added: “It’s only matter of time before you’ll be able to recreate any dead person at any age with the voice and the mannerisms, so I want to have some control.”
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