KOCHI: Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan has called for necessary changes in the legal framework to protect copyright and address emerging challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI), deepfakes, and digital piracy.
Inaugurating the seminar ‘Music, Cinema and Law: Exploring the Intersections of Art, Culture and Law’, jointly organised by the Kerala Judicial Academy and the National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) on Friday evening, Satheesan said technological advancements had increased the tendency to imitate and infringe upon the creative works of others.
He said cinema involves the creative labour of a large number of people and huge financial investments, making piracy a serious threat to the industry.
“Strong legal protection is necessary to counter piracy. Existing laws should be amended wherever necessary to protect the film industry from being pushed into a crisis,” he said.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the emerging challenges posed by AI-generated music, images and videos. The creation and circulation of deepfakes, including fabricated visuals of prominent personalities on social media, could pose serious security threats, he said, stressing the need to update legal frameworks to deal with such technological developments.
Satheesan said art offered people an escape from economic, social and health-related difficulties and enabled them to forget their troubles and enjoy life.
“Art and artists are gifts from God,” he said.
Supreme Court Justice V Mohana was the chief guest, while Higher Education Minister Roji M John attended the event.
Kerala High Court Chief Justice Soumen Sen said law, music and cinema might appear to be distinct fields but were deeply connected to human behaviour and emotions. "While art expressed human experiences, law sought to regulate and protect them," he said.
Recalling Swami Vivekananda’s observation that music was the highest form of art and a form of worship for those who understood it deeply, Justice Sen said music could provide solace in a world marked by conflicts and tensions.
Music and cinema, he added, were not merely sound or moving images but cultural markers encompassing a society’s memories, protests, language and identity.
Justice Anil K Narendran, judge of the Kerala High Court and president of the Kerala Judicial Academy’s Board of Governors, delivered the thematic address.
NUALS Vice-Chancellor Prof G B Reddy and Kerala Judicial Academy Director K N Sujith were among those present.
The seminar, concluding on September 13, will discuss contemporary legal issues concerning copyright, AI, digital platforms and creative rights. Sessions will cover music copyrights, contracts, AI-related legal issues, sound recordings, film agreements and choreography rights.