Delhi High Court issues restraining order on unauthorised use of Nagarjuna’s voice, face without his consent

Mumbai, Oct 1 In the age of Artificial Intelligence, artistes are increasingly safeguarding their commercial interests and their artwork.

In a major win for Telugu superstar Nagarjuna, the Delhi High Court has banned the commercial use of his name, voice, image and other things related to his personality without his consent. The High Court has restrained various websites, which were made parties in Nagarjuna's petition, from using his name, image and other things related to his personality.

The website will not be able to use any new technology like artificial intelligence, deepfake, face morphing. The court has ordered all websites to remove all URL links given in the petition within 72 hours.

Misuse of one's personality rights not only affects their economic interests but also violates their right to live with dignity, the Delhi High Court has said. Nagarjuna is one of the biggest superstars in the country. He has a huge number of fans. If his name, likeness, voice is used commercially, it will create confusion among a large number of people.

The High Court granted an interim injunction, restraining several websites and unnamed “John Doe” (placeholder name in legal system) entities from misusing Nagarjuna’s persona for commercial or other gain without consent.

The court also directed that identified URLs be taken down within 72 hours, and asked the Ministry of Electronics & IT and Department of Telecommunications to issue blocking orders. In its judgment, the court underscored that misappropriation of personality rights not only jeopardizes economic interests but may inflict irreparable harm on reputation, dignity, and goodwill.

This order is part of a growing trend in India, where prominent public figures are seeking judicial safeguards against AI-driven misuse of their identity in an increasingly online and automated world.

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