Court restrains unauthorized use of Yuvraj Singh’s persona in AI-generated content and merchandise
In a landmark ruling, the Delhi High Court has issued an injunction to safeguard the personality rights of celebrated former cricketer Yuvraj Singh. The decision, delivered by Justice Jyoti Singh, recognized the unauthorized use of Singh's persona by various defendants through AI-generated content and merchandise as an infringement of his personality and publicity rights.
The plaintiff, Yuvraj Singh, moved the court seeking protection against the misuse of his personality attributes, such as his name, image, and likeness, being exploited through AI-generated posts, deepfake videos, and unauthorized merchandise by the defendants. The court noted that such activities not only violated his personality rights but also amounted to the dilution of his commercial value.
The judgment elaborated on the plaintiff's illustrious career, highlighting his contributions to Indian cricket and his substantial public recognition and goodwill. Singh, renowned as the 'Sixer King' and a recipient of prestigious awards like the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri, has been a prominent figure both on and off the field.
The court emphasized the protection of personality rights under Indian law, affirming Singh's exclusive right to control the commercial use of his persona. It underscored that any unauthorized use of these attributes for personal or commercial gain constitutes an infringement and can be legally restrained.
Defendants, including e-commerce platforms and social media accounts, were ordered to take down infringing content. The platforms were directed to comply within stipulated timelines to prevent further exploitation. The court also granted Singh the liberty to notify intermediaries of any future infringing content.
This ruling reinforces the legal framework safeguarding celebrity rights in the digital age, where technologies like AI and deepfake have introduced new challenges to privacy and personality rights.
Bottom Line:
Personality rights are recognized and protected under Indian law, granting individuals exclusive rights over their persona and attributes like name, image, voice, and likeness. Unauthorized use of these attributes for commercial or personal gain violates these rights and can be restrained by courts.
Statutory provision(s): Commercial Courts Act, 2015 - Section 12A, Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - Order XXXIX Rules 1 and 2, Section 151, Right to Privacy
Yuvraj Singh v. Ashok Kumar, (Delhi) : Law Finder Doc id # 2952077
