<\/p>\nWhat are personality rights and how are courts protecting celebrities?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Personality rights give individuals legal control over how their identity\u2014name, image, voice, signature, and likeness\u2014is used publicly or commercially. These rights have two key components: the Right to Publicity, which prevents commercial misuse without consent, and the Right to Privacy, which guards against deepfakes, morphed visuals, and fake endorsements.The Delhi High Court has defined these rights as entitling individuals “to control and protect the exploitation of one’s image, name, likeness or other attributes of their personality, in addition to the commercial gains that can be derived from the same.”Courts have been remarkably proactive despite the absence of specific AI legislation. The Delhi High Court granted relief to Hrithik Roshan, ordering removal of commercial exploitation and AI content while making an important distinction\u2014it refused to take down non-commercial fan pages. Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora observed: “We can’t have fanclubs taken down at ex parte stage. Instagram use is not only commercial. People do it for fun and recreation.”The Bombay High Court has extended similar protection to Amitabh Bachchan, Karan Johar, Suniel Shetty, Rishab Shetty, and Akkineni Nagarjuna. In Shetty’s case, the court slammed the “depraved misuse of technology.” Singer Kumar Sanu also moved Delhi High Court seeking similar safeguards.Most celebrities seek “John Doe injunctions”\u2014court orders against unknown individuals\u2014crucial because AI content often comes from anonymous sources. These orders restrain social media platforms and websites from hosting unauthorised content.<\/p>\nWhy the sudden legal avalanche? AI democratisation meets India’s digital explosion<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Several factors have created this perfect storm. AI technology that once required expertise is now accessible to anyone with a smartphone. Voice cloning, face-swapping, and video manipulation can be accomplished in minutes.India’s massive digital presence\u2014over 600 million YouTube users alone\u2014provides both audience and infrastructure for exploitation. The potential for financial gain through viral fake content and fraudulent endorsements creates powerful incentives for bad actors.Celebrities face unique vulnerabilities. Their extensively documented online presence provides abundant training data for AI models. Their influence means fake content spreads rapidly and can cause real-world consequences\u2014from public unrest to financial fraud targeting fans.The Bachchans’ lawsuit raises a critical new concern: they’re demanding YouTube prevent uploaded videos from training AI platforms like OpenAI and Meta without consent. They argue that biased AI content could teach models false information, perpetuating misinformation.The most internationally recognised victory belongs to Anil Kapoor, whose 2023 case against 16 defendants earned him a spot on Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in AI list\u2014making him India’s equivalent of Scarlett Johansson, who similarly fought OpenAI over voice imitation.While courts have been responsive, legal experts point to significant gaps. India lacks AI-specific legislation addressing deepfakes and digital impersonation. There’s growing consensus that comprehensive laws are needed covering not just celebrities but ordinary citizens, with clear penalties and platform accountability.<\/div>\n
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