Gunjan Chaudhary
Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has received significant relief from the Delhi High Court in her petition against the unauthorized use of her photos, videos, voice, and AI-generated content. The court observed that the misuse of a celebrity’s identity without consent is not only a violation of their personality rights but also an infringement of their fundamental right to live with dignity.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Issuing interim directions, the court ordered e-commerce platforms, Google, and other respondents to take immediate action. Within 72 hours, they must remove, block, and deactivate all complaint URLs flagged in Aishwarya’s petition. Additionally, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has been instructed to issue necessary directives to ensure that such content is taken down. Google and other platforms have also been asked to submit original customer information in a sealed envelope.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Aishwarya’s petition raised concerns over the misuse of her personality and copyright rights. She highlighted that her images were being tampered with using AI technology, and in some cases, even obscene content was being circulated online in her name without authorization. The actress stressed that such misuse not only damages her reputation but also causes financial losses.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Justice Girish Kathpalia, while passing the order, remarked that unauthorized exploitation of a celebrity’s identity can mislead the public, dilute their brand value, and tarnish their credibility. He stated, “The plaintiff has made a strong prima facie case. Misuse of her name, pictures, or signature without consent creates confusion and is clearly a violation.” The court further noted that some respondents had used Aishwarya’s personality traits with the help of AI tools, thereby intensifying the harm to her dignity and reputation. Interestingly, Aishwarya is not the only one from the Bachchan family to move court on this issue. Her husband, actor Abhishek Bachchan, has also filed a similar petition.