Pakistani novelist Nemrah Ahmad has warned creators to delete AI-generated videos based on her novels, especially Jannat Kay Pattay. She called the practice “extremely illegal” and unethical, while threatening copyright complaints and possible legal action.
YouTube and Instagram pages have used generative AI to recreate scenes, characters and settings from the bestselling Urdu novel. The clips present animated interpretations without Ahmad’s permission or involvement.
Copyright Complaints and Legal Warning
In an Instagram statement, Ahmad directly addressed the pages producing such videos.
“PSA: All the YouTube channels/Instagram pages making AI videos on my novels, especially Jannat Kay Pattay, need to delete those because one by one we are going to report them for copyright violations,” she wrote.
She also said complaints could lead to the removal of channels and Instagram accounts. She also warned that legal processes could reveal creators’ identities.
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“Not only will your channel/Insta be taken down, you will also be traced legally through Meta. You cannot hide behind keyboards because Meta has a responsibility when it comes to such copyright violations, and they are supposed to provide details about YOU to the government that requests it,” she added.
Instagram allows rights holders or authorised representatives to report suspected copyright violations. YouTube also treats a copyright removal request as a legal process and may remove content after a valid complaint.
No Permission for Visual Adaptations
Ahmad stressed that she had never authorised visual adaptations of her novels.
“You have no right to make video content on my novels. I never gave my novels to TV productions. Doing this with AI is not only illegal, unethical but extremely cheap.”
She also urged readers to report AI-generated videos based on her work.
Ahmad is one of Pakistan’s best-known contemporary Urdu novelists. Her major works include Jannat Kay Pattay, Namal and Mus’haf. Her fiction blends suspense, mystery, romance and Islamic themes. Her official platform provides authorised access to her writing.
Why AI Book Videos Raise Copyright Concerns
Using AI does not automatically make an adaptation lawful. Pakistan’s Copyright Ordinance, 1962 gives literary copyright owners exclusive rights over reproduction, cinematic use and adaptation. It treats unauthorised use of those rights as potential infringement.
A creator may therefore face legal risk when a video copies distinctive dialogue, characters, plot sequences or scenes from a protected novel. Changing the visual style or generating images through AI may not remove that risk.
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However, each case depends on its content and purpose. Pakistani law permits limited fair dealing for criticism, review, research and current-event reporting. A brief review differs from a scene-by-scene visual retelling that recreates a novel’s story.
The dispute reflects wider publishing concerns as generative AI makes unofficial adaptations faster and cheaper. The technology does not erase an author’s underlying rights. Creators seeking to produce book-based videos should obtain permission, use licensed material or remain within a genuine legal exception.
