The Bombay High Court has issued an order protecting veteran playback singer Asha Bhosle from the unauthorized use of her identity by artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, e-commerce sites, and other parties. The court’s decision prevents these entities from using her voice, image, or likeness without her explicit permission.
Justice Arif S Doctor, who issued the order, noted that using a celebrity’s personal features—such as their name, voice, photographs, or likeness—without their consent appears, on the surface, to infringe upon their personality rights.
Quoting a report by Bar and Bench, the court emphasized that making AI tools available to replicate a celebrity’s voice without consent amounts to a violation of their identity rights. These tools allow for unauthorized duplication and modification of a celebrity’s voice, which the court recognized as a significant part of their public and personal identity.
Bhosle approached the court after discovering several instances of misuse. Among the named parties were AI company Mayk, e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart, tech platform Google, and an independent artist.
According to the complaint, Mayk was allegedly distributing AI-generated clones of Bhosle’s voice. Meanwhile, Amazon and Flipkart were found selling posters and merchandise featuring her likeness without consent. Google was included because YouTube—its video-sharing platform—hosted AI-created content mimicking Bhosle’s voice. The independent artist reportedly sold clothing featuring her image.
Bhosle’s legal team argued that such unapproved use of her identity harmed both her reputation and the goodwill she had earned over her distinguished 80-year career, during which she received numerous awards, including the Padma Vibhushan, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, and two Grammy nominations.
After reviewing the case, the court found the situation to be clearly in Bhosle’s favor and issued a restraining order against all the defendants. They are now barred from using any part of her identity—voice, image, or likeness—for commercial or personal gain.
Additionally, the court instructed the involved platforms and sellers to take down all content and product listings that violated Bhosle’s rights. They were also ordered to provide the singer with information about the individuals responsible for the infringing content, enabling her to take further legal action if necessary.
