NEW DELHI : The Delhi High Court has granted interim protection to Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, restraining various online platforms and entities from misusing her name, images, and attributes of personality for commercial or personal gain without her consent.
The order, passed by Justice Tejas Karia on September 9 and made public on Thursday, comes in response to a suit filed by Rai seeking protection of her personality rights against unauthorised exploitation, including AI-generated pornographic content. “The courts in such cases of unauthorised exploitation of one’s personality rights, can’t turn a blind eye to the same and shall protect the aggrieved parties so as to avert any harm to them resulting from the said unauthorised exploitation.” the court said.
Finding prima facie merit in her plea, the court said, “Balance of convenience lies in favour of the plaintiff and if an injunction is not granted in the present case, it will lead to an irreparable loss/harm to the plaintiff and her family, not only financially, but also with respect to her right to live with dignity.”
Rai’s petition argued that the defendants were misappropriating multiple aspects of her persona, including her name, image, likeness, voice, and even her unique mannerisms, without her permission. The court noted that such misuse not only causes financial detriment but also affects her dignity, reputation, and goodwill.