The Bombay High Court has granted ad-interim protection to legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle in a landmark personality rights case, preventing unauthorized use of her voice, image, and likeness by artificial intelligence platforms and other entities. Justice Arif S. Doctor ruled that using AI tools to clone or imitate a celebrity’s voice without permission violates their personality rights, which are an integral part of their identity and public persona.

Asha Bhosle filed the petition against multiple defendants, including AI company Mayk Inc, accused of producing cloned versions of her voice; e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart for selling unlicensed merchandise featuring her image; an independent artist selling apparel printed with her likeness; and Google/YouTube for hosting AI-generated videos mimicking her voice. The singer argued that such acts harm her reputation and dilute the goodwill she has built over an illustrious 82-year career, earning accolades like the Padma Vibhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

The court ordered the defendants to immediately remove all infringing materials, including AI-generated voice clones, merchandise, and online content. Amazon and Flipkart were instructed to take down all unauthorized listings within seven days and ensure future compliance. Google/YouTube must remove flagged URLs and prevent further uploads of similar AI content. Additionally, the platforms must disclose details of infringing users to enable further legal action by Bhosle.

This ruling is a significant step in protecting celebrity rights in the digital and AI age, standing firmly against technological misuse and unauthorized commercial exploitation of a person’s identity.

The case will continue with further hearings scheduled for October 13, 2025.