The Delhi High Court has been approached by actor and parliamentarian Jaya Bachchan seeking protection of her personality and publicity rights against the unauthorised use of her name, image, voice, and likeness by various online platforms and third parties. The petition, filed through Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, contends that her identity has been misappropriated through the circulation of manipulated and morphed images, merchandise, and digital content, amounting to a violation of her right to privacy and reputation.
According to the petition, several online entities have exploited her persona for commercial gain by publishing doctored visuals, creating false endorsements, and selling merchandise featuring her likeness without her consent. Some of these instances reportedly include manipulated photographs and videos on social media platforms and online stores falsely suggesting her approval or association. The petition argues that such unauthorised use of her persona misleads the public, diminishes her personal dignity, and unlawfully profits from her reputation.
Jaya Bachchan’s plea emphasises that every individual, particularly public figures, has the inherent right to control the commercial use of their identity attributes. She asserted that these rights form part of the broader spectrum of personality and publicity rights, recognised under Indian law as extensions of the right to life and personal liberty guaranteed by the Constitution. The petition seeks permanent and interim injunctions to prevent further misuse of her persona.
The matter was heard by Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, who noted certain procedural issues in the pleadings. The Court observed that some of the images cited by the petitioner appeared to be film posters, and questioned whether such content could form the basis of a personality rights claim. The bench directed that a revised plaint be filed within two days to address these deficiencies and ordered that notice be served to major online intermediaries, including Google, Facebook, and Amazon.
In her plea, Jaya Bachchan requested the Court to restrain all known and unknown parties, including “John Doe” defendants, from using her identity attributes in any form without explicit authorisation. She also sought directions to social media and e-commerce platforms to take down the infringing content, block related accounts or channels, and disclose the identities and monetisation details of those responsible for the unauthorised use. The petition also requested preventive measures to cover future instances of misuse, particularly in light of emerging threats posed by artificial intelligence and deepfake technologies.
The Delhi High Court acknowledged the significance of personality rights in the digital era, observing that unconsented use of a person’s likeness for commercial or deceptive purposes can cause serious harm to reputation and personal dignity. The case marks another step in a growing trend where celebrities and public figures have begun seeking judicial protection to safeguard their image and identity from unauthorised exploitation in the online space. The proceedings are ongoing, with the Court yet to issue its final order on the reliefs sought.
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