AI voice cloning: how a Bollywood veteran set a legal precedent - World Intellectual Property…

In 2024, renowned Indian playback singer Arijit Singh successfully challenged the unauthorized use of artificial intelligence to replicate his voice and persona. The resulting case, Arijit Singh v. Codible Ventures LLP, serves as a landmark judgment in India regarding the intersection of generative AI, intellectual property, and personality rights.

What happened

Arijit Singh alleged that Codible Ventures LLP utilized AI tools to synthesize recordings of his voice, a process commonly known as voice cloning. The company reportedly uploaded a dataset containing 456 songs from Singh’s repertoire into AI tools without his authorization. These tools allowed users to convert any text, speech, or audio file into a version featuring Singh’s voice.

Beyond voice synthesis, the defendant used Singh’s name and likeness in advertising materials, falsely implying his endorsement of or participation in a virtual event. The company also created various digital assets and merchandise bearing his name and likeness without consent.

In its ruling, the Bombay High Court affirmed that Singh’s name, voice, photograph, likeness, and other personal traits are protected under his personality rights and right to publicity. Justice R.I. Chagla expressed significant concern regarding the vulnerability of performers to unauthorized generative AI content, noting that such technological exploitation infringes upon an individual’s right to control their own identity. The court concluded that the unauthorized creation of merchandise, domains, and digital assets using Singh’s attributes was illegal. Consequently, the court granted an ad-interim order restraining the entities from further commercial exploitation of Singh’s personality attributes, including his specific vocal style, technique, and signature. This ruling establishes a critical precedent for protecting creators against the unauthorized commercialization of their personas in the age of AI.