Lawyer Priyanka Khimani talks to HT about the governance of AI use in entertainment and music.
It was only a few weeks ago that the use of AI in song creation was being debated. Then came Eros Entertainment’s decision to re-release Raanjhana with an AI-altered ending without director Aanand L Rai‘s consent. This was the backdrop to our conversation with Priyanka Khimani, a lawyer specialising in intellectual property rights and contracts in entertainment and music. It is perhaps an indictment of how quickly AI-led content creation has moved that, in between the conversation happening and it getting published, an entire film created by AI has been announced, condemned, and defended.
How law looks at AI-modification of IP
From Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane to AR Rahman, many creators have raised concerns about the rampant use of AI in Indian entertainment, particularly in the absence of a legal framework governing it. Priyanka Khimani says that while there may be no ‘framework specific to AI’, the Indian constitution has ‘sufficient protection in the existing copyright statute that helps authors and rights holders enforce their rights.’
“Legal action has already been filed in certain courts to enforce copyright against AI platforms. Cease and Desist Letters and Take Down Notices are being addressed on a routine basis to curb unauthorised use in its tracks. That being said, the absence of a codified legal framework governing AI’s usage in creative domains does create somewhat of a vacuum,” she adds.
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