Court allows renowned actress to file suit against Google for breach of personality rights and copyright infringement.
In a significant legal development, the Bombay High Court has granted leave to Bollywood actress and entrepreneur Preity G. Zinta to file a suit against Google LLC and others. The suit seeks an injunction to restrain the alleged breach of personality rights, copyright infringement, and violation of moral rights through the dissemination of AI-generated deep fake videos, memes, and other manipulated digital content.
The decision, delivered by Justice Abhay Ahuja, comes in response to a Leave Petition filed by Zinta, who claims that her rights have been infringed by the unauthorized creation and distribution of AI-generated content that tarnishes her goodwill and reputation. Represented by Mr. Rohan Kadam, Zinta argued that the offending materials have been circulated both within Mumbai and globally, causing significant damage to her persona.
The court's jurisdiction was a key point of contention, as the defendants, including Google, have offices outside Mumbai. However, the court found that part of the cause of action arose within its jurisdiction, thus granting Zinta leave under Clause XII of the Letters Patent to proceed with the suit in the Bombay High Court.
This case underscores the growing legal challenges posed by AI technology and digital content, highlighting issues of privacy, copyright, and personal rights in the digital age. The suit will now proceed to address these complex issues, potentially setting a precedent for future cases involving AI-generated content.
Bottom line:-
Clause XII of the Letters Patent - Leave granted to file a suit for injunction against alleged breach of personality rights, infringement of copyright, and loss of goodwill and reputation through AI-generated deep fake videos, memes, manipulated images, and digital content.
Statutory provision(s): Clause XII of the Letters Patent, Section 62 of the Copyright Act, 1957
Preity G. Zinta v. Google LLC, (Bombay) : Law Finder Doc id # 2925992
