As deepfakes and AI-generated content escalate, several top Bollywood celebrities are moving to protect their personality rights—the exclusive right to control and profit from their identity.
Most recently, filmmaker Karan Johar and actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan successfully approached the Delhi High Court to prevent the unauthorized use of their names, images, voices, and mannerisms.
Personality rights safeguard a celebrity's likeness from commercial exploitation without their consent.
While the U.S. state of California has statutory protection, India currently lacks a dedicated law, forcing courts to rely on common law principles to grant relief.
The urgency is driven by the widespread misuse of celebrity images by small businesses, which is now compounded by the rise of AI-driven threats like deepfakes, fake profiles, and unauthorized merchandising.
These recent court orders follow similar landmark victories.
In 2023, actor Anil Kapoor secured protection for his image and trademark catch-phrase "jhakaas," and Jackie Shroff also won legal recognition for his rights, even extending to his nicknames.
Moving ahead, the rulings underscore the judiciary’s role in adapting existing laws to protect celebrity identities in the digital age.
