The Bombay High Court has drawn a firm line around Asha Bhosle’s legacy, handing the legendary playback singer sweeping ad-interim protection against the misuse of her identity in the digital age.
At the heart of the case were cloned imitations of Bhosle’s unmistakable voice, sold and circulated without her permission. The Court ruled that AI platforms, sellers, and marketplaces cannot tamper with or trade in her voice, image, or likeness—whether through generative AI tools, cloned voice models, or merchandise—without her express consent.
Justice Arif S. Doctor observed that a celebrity’s name, voice, and persona form the core of their identity and that allowing AI-driven impersonation amounts to stripping away their personality rights. “Converting any voice into that of a celebrity without consent,” the order read, “is a violation of the very essence of who they are.”
The petition named multiple defendants, including an AI company accused of offering cloned versions of her voice, e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart for carrying merchandise with her likeness, an independent seller hawking apparel featuring her image, and Google as the operator of YouTube, where AI-generated imitations had surfaced.
The Court’s directions were unequivocal:
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AI platforms and sellers were restrained from using or profiting from Bhosle’s persona in any form.
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Amazon and Flipkart were ordered to take down all flagged listings within a week and ensure quick removal of future violations once notified.
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YouTube/Google was directed to erase specific infringing links and scrub similar AI-generated content once reported.
Further, all platforms must hand over basic details of the infringing parties—names, contact information, IP logs, payment records—so Bhosle can pursue them directly.
The Court also emphasized her unmatched stature: a career spanning over eight decades, a body of work across genres, and accolades ranging from the Padma Vibhushan to Grammy nominations. Allowing digital replicas to float unchecked, it said, risked eroding that reputation built over a lifetime.
The matter will return to Court later this month, but for now, the judgment stands as a warning shot to AI developers and online marketplaces—celebrity voices are not commodities to be cloned at will.