The Delhi High Court on Wednesday indicated that it would grant interim relief to filmmaker and producer Karan Johar in his lawsuit seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights.
Justice Manmeet PS Arora orally observed, “In the IA (Interlocutory Application), I will pass a detailed order. Injunction to be granted,” signaling that an interim injunction will be issued in Johar’s favour.
The court issued summons to several online platforms and websites named in the suit, while directing Meta Platforms and other intermediaries to furnish Basic Subscriber Information (BSI) and IT log details. The bench said the interim order would address issues flagged by Johar, including:
- unauthorised sale of merchandise bearing his name and image,
- circulation of obscene or disparaging content,
- misuse of domain names,
- impersonation and creation of fake profiles.
Johar had specifically urged the court to restrain certain websites and platforms from illegally selling merchandise such as mugs and T-shirts with his likeness.
Through senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao, Johar argued that he has the right to ensure that no one exploits his persona, image, or voice without consent. “I have a right to ensure that no one unauthorisedly uses my persona, face or voice,” Rao submitted.
The suit was filed on the basis that various entities had been misusing Johar’s name, likeness and image for commercial gains without authorisation. Johar was also represented by advocate Nizam Pasha and the law firm DS Legal.
One of the defendants, Redbubble, assured the court it would take down infringing content listed in the plaint within a week.
However, counsel for Meta Platforms contended that many of the flagged comments were not defamatory. They argued that passing a blanket injunction could trigger excessive litigation, stating, “These are ordinary people having comments and discussions. Most of them are satire and jokes and not defamatory.”
Johar’s plea comes close on the heels of interim orders passed by the high court in similar suits filed by actor couple Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, who also sought protection of their personality and publicity rights.
