- Preity Zinta got Bombay High Court permission to sue Google, Meta, and others for AI deepfake content
- The suit alleges infringement of Zinta's personality rights, copyright, moral rights, and loss of goodwill
- Claims include AI-generated videos, memes, chatbot personas, and manipulated images violating her rights
The Bombay High Court has granted actor Preity Zinta permission to institute a suit against Google LLC, Meta and other entities over alleged AI-generated deepfake videos, manipulated images, chatbot personas and other digital content that she claims violate her rights.
What's Happening
According to Live Law Biz, Justice Abhay Ahuja on Tuesday allowed Zinta's petition seeking leave to file the suit before the Bombay High Court and disposed of the matter.
According to submissions made before the court, the proposed suit alleges infringement of the actor's personality rights, copyright and moral rights.
Advocate Rohan Kadam, appearing for Zinta, submitted that the proposed suit seeks an injunction against the respondents. The claims relate to alleged breach of personality rights, copyright infringement, loss of goodwill and reputation, and violation of moral rights under the Copyright Act, 1957.
Details
According to the submissions, the respondents, through AI-generated deepfake videos, memes, manipulated images, AI-generated chatbot personas and other digital content, had "created, uploaded, disseminated and made available to the general public from the various platforms" content that was infringing her rights.
Kadam told the court that Zinta is an Indian national who primarily resides and works in Mumbai.
He argued that her goodwill, reputation and persona are situated within the jurisdiction of the Bombay High Court.
The court also recorded the submission that the allegedly offending content was being disseminated not only in Mumbai but across the world.
Kadam further submitted that while part of the cause of action had arisen within the court's jurisdiction, the respondents had offices outside its jurisdiction and the alleged activities were taking place on online platforms.
After considering the submissions and examining the leave petition along with the proposed plaint, the court held that leave ought to be granted.
Granting the relief sought, the court ordered, "that this Hon'ble Court be pleased to grant leave under Clause XII of the Letters Patent to enable the Petitioner to file the present Suit in this Hon'ble Court."
The petition was accordingly allowed and disposed of.