We realise that any industry needs capital to run and with capital, naturally comes capitalism. But in Hollywood, it has gone so extreme that Studios are violating the basic personality rights of actors. Disney was accused of recording Background actors in different expressions so that they keep using their faces with AI. Let’s not even go into the writing process where writers are being completely replaced.
In such an adverse situation, India comes out as a lesson for Hollywood.
The Delhi High Court made a significant move to safeguard the personality and publicity rights of Anil Kapoor. An interim John Doe order was issued to prevent any improper use of Kapoor’s image and persona for commercial purposes, including on social media and e-commerce platforms.
Justice Prathiba M Singh, who presided over the case, made several important rulings and observations. As per the court’s directive, unauthorized parties are prohibited from exploiting Anil Kapoor’s name, voice, image, or dialogue for financial gain through illegal means. This prohibition extends to the creation of merchandise, ringtones, or any other products using Kapoor’s persona without proper authorization.
Furthermore, the court recognized the potential misuse of artificial intelligence tools for manipulating Kapoor’s image. It has also restricted the use of his likeness in GIFs for monetary purposes or any other commercial activities that could infringe upon his rights. The actor also sought to halt the unauthorized sale and distribution of products such as keychains, t-shirts, and various forms of audio-visual content, including images, GIFs, and videos.
AI is extremely useful in saving our time and there are tons of other benefits too. But, AI can severely damage someone’s persona, character and even survival. We hope Hollywood takes lessons from this landmark judgement.