NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has strongly condemned the unauthorized use of Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s name, image, and persona, stating that such exploitation without consent not only results in commercial loss but also harms her dignity and reputation.The court granted an interim injunction, restraining multiple websites, companies, and unidentified individuals from misusing her identity via digital platforms and AI-driven tools.
Justice Tejas Karia, presiding over the case, underscored that the unauthorized use of a celebrity’s identity—including name, image, likeness, or signature—without consent can cause commercial harm and infringe upon their right to dignity. The court observed that the misuse of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s persona created confusion, falsely implied endorsement, and diluted her reputation and goodwill.To curb these violations, the court imposed broad restrictions on the defendants. They were restrained from infringing on Rai’s personality and publicity rights, moral rights, or passing off goods and services as endorsed by her. The order also barred the creation, sharing, or dissemination of AI-generated, deepfake, morphed, or manipulated content across any medium, and prohibited using her persona for commercial products, advertisements, or online platforms.The bench directed Google LLC and various e-commerce platforms to remove or disable identified URLs within 72 hours of notice. Additionally, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Technology were instructed to issue directions to block such URLs. Google and the platforms were also ordered to submit, in a sealed cover, all available Basic Subscriber Information of the offenders involved.Aishwarya Rai was represented by Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, along with advocates Pravin Anand, Ameet Naik, Madhu Gadodia, Dhruv Anand, and Udita Patro. The court acknowledged Rai’s stature as one of India’s most celebrated entertainers and a trusted ambassador for global brands, noting that misuse of her persona through AI tools like deepfakes and face morphing was unauthorized and harmful.Senior Advocate Sethi detailed the violations, citing unauthorized merchandise including mugs, T-shirts, and drinkware, as well as fraudulent entities such as Aishwarya Nation Wealth, which falsely listed Rai as Chairperson. He also highlighted the circulation of obscene, morphed, and AI-generated content, calling it a gross violation of her dignity and a misleading tactic associating her with unrelated ventures.Google’s counsel, Advocate Mamta Rani, explained that the platform could act only on specific flagged URLs. Justice Karia acknowledged this limitation and stated that while a unified order would be ideal, individual injunctions might be necessary depending on the nature and extent of each defendant’s violations. The court clarified that Rai could submit specific URLs for takedown or pursue action through the Blocking and Screening Instructions (BSI) process for comprehensive enforcement.The matter has been scheduled for further proceedings on January 15, 2026. Meanwhile, the interim injunction will continue to protect Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s personality and publicity rights.(With inputs from agency)
