The Bombay High Court has issued a significant ruling, permitting Bollywood actress Preity Zinta to initiate legal proceedings against Google LLC and other entities. The case concerns the alleged use and distribution of AI-generated deepfake content, which Zinta claims infringes on her personality and copyright rights, causing harm to her reputation and goodwill.
High Court Ruling Opens Path for Legal Action
On Tuesday, in the case of Preity Zinta v. Google LLC & Ors, Justice Abhay Ahuja granted Zinta a leave petition under Clause XII of the Letters Patent. This procedural step is necessary when part of the cause of action occurs outside the territorial jurisdiction of the Court.
As a result, Zinta is now authorized to bring a substantive civil suit before the original side of the Bombay High Court. The lawsuit targets Google LLC and several other parties, including major social media platforms and websites, for allegedly creating, uploading, and disseminating AI-generated deepfake videos and other manipulated content featuring her likeness.
Allegations of Rights Infringement
Zinta argues that these digital creations violate her personality rights and infringe on her copyright, leading to a significant loss of goodwill and reputation. She further claims these actions breach her moral rights under Section 62 of the Copyright Act, 1957.
The court was informed that despite the global dissemination of the contested material, Zinta’s primary residence and professional base in Mumbai places her goodwill and reputation firmly within the Court’s jurisdiction.
More Read
Jurisdictional Grounds for the Suit
Given that some defendants operate outside Mumbai and the alleged activities span both local and international scopes, Zinta sought leave to file her suit in Bombay. Justice Ahuja, agreeing with these arguments, granted the leave, thereby allowing the proposed legal action to proceed.
The upcoming suit seeks an injunction and other legal remedies against the dissemination of deepfake content. Advocate Rohan Kadam, under the briefing of B Munim & Co, represents Zinta in this case. The proceedings will now advance independently before the High Court.
For more details, you can refer to the official court order.
