The Delhi high court has barred several online platforms from illegally using the name and images of actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for commercial gain. In an order which was made public on September 11, the HC stated that when the identity of a famous personality is used without her consent or authorisation, it may not only lead to commercial detriment to the individual concerned but also impact her right to live with dignity.
The court passed the interim order on a plea by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, seeking to protect her personality rights and restrain online platforms from illegally using her name, images, likeness and AI-generated pornographic content. The court said, “No one is entitled to utilise and/or misappropriate and/or imitate any facet of the plaintiff’s personality, including but not limited to her name, signature, voice, image, and any other distinctive elements that are uniquely associated with her, and/or exploit the same commercially in any manner whatsoever without the consent and/or express authorisation of the plaintiff, as it would constitute a violation of the plaintiff’s personality rights and be liable to be judicially restrained by the court.”