The Delhi High Court on Wednesday protected the personality and publicity rights of playback singer Kumar Sanu, directing the removal of objectionable videos and other content against him from various social media platforms.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora orally observed that the court will pass a detailed interim injunction order safeguarding the singer’s rights and ordering takedown of the offending material.
The court was hearing Sanu’s plea seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights, which include his name, voice, vocal style and technique, vocal arrangements and interpretations, mannerisms and manner of singing, images, caricatures, photographs, likeness, and signature.
Filed through advocates Shikha Sachdeva and Sana Raees Khan, the suit also alleges violation of Sanu’s moral rights in his performances under the provisions of the Copyright Act.
The plea claims that several individuals and entities are misusing his persona without authorization, leading to confusion and dilution of his identity among the public.
During the hearing, the counsel for one of the defendants informed the court that Sanu had raised concerns regarding four profiles on Facebook and Instagram. It was also submitted that the 334 URLs identified by the plaintiff had already become unavailable.
The court took note of these submissions and made it clear that it would pass an interim injunction to ensure comprehensive protection of the singer’s rights.
Sanu expressed grievance over the circulation of various GIFs, audio and video recordings, and AI-generated content that clone his voice, vocal style, and manner of singing. According to the suit, these materials not only bring disrepute to him and make him the subject of “unsavoury humour” but also violate his moral rights in his performances.
The plea further alleges that the defendants have morphed his face and created unauthorized merchandise using his persona. These items and videos are uploaded on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, generating revenue based on clicks and views.
“Such merchandise and audios/videos of the plaintiff generate revenue for the defendants, as they are uploaded and streamed on social networking websites, including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, which generate revenue based on the number of clicks or views to a particular image/video,” the suit states.
It adds that these actions amount to false endorsements and passing off, warranting injunctive relief.
Recently, several public figures including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and journalist Sudhir Chaudhary approached the Delhi High Court to protect their personality and publicity rights. The court granted interim relief in those cases as well.
The right to publicity—often referred to as personality rights—is the right to protect, control, and profit from one’s image, name, or likeness. Indian courts have increasingly been recognizing these rights in cases involving celebrities and public figures, especially in the context of digital platforms and AI-generated content.
