Delhi HC grants protection of Anil Kapoor's personality rights
The Delhi High Court passed an interim John Doe order (orders directed against persons/groups that aren't identifiable) on Wednesday, protecting the personality and publicity rights of Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor. The court has restrained social media channels, e-commerce websites, and people from infringing on Kapoor's name, voice, signature, and image rights. Unauthorized platforms are now prohibited from using the actor's persona for commercial purposes without permission, including his photograph, dialogues, voice as a ringtone, and face masks with his pictures.
Legal arguments and proposed guidelines
Kapoor's counsel relied on judgments arguing that elements of personality are protectable. The court was also informed about the Ministry of Consumer Affairs's proposed guidelines to protect consumers. Additionally, the court barred the use of artificial intelligence tools to morph Kapoor's image and the use of his image in GIFs for monetary purposes where it was likely to violate the veteran actor's rights.
Kapoor followed Amitabh Bachchan's footsteps
Earlier, Amitabh Bachchan had also moved the Delhi High Court for similar protection. The court's decision in Kapoor's case sets a precedent for other celebrities who may want to safeguard their personality rights from unauthorized commercial exploitation. On the work front, Kapoor is gearing up for the release of Thank You for Coming. He also has Siddharth Anand's Fighter lined up for release.
