Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court to safeguard his personality and publicity rights from unauthorized use of his name, image, and likeness, including through AI-generated content and pornographic material online. The court heard arguments from Kapoor’s lawyer, Pravin Anand, who highlighted the unauthorized commercial exploitation of Kapoor’s identity by various parties. The misuse extended to the circulation of explicit material and manipulated images of Kapoor without his consent.
Senior counsel Pravin Anand pointed out that the misuse of Kapoor’s identity for commercial gain involved morphed and fabricated visuals that distorted his public image. He cited examples where Kapoor’s face was digitally altered with that of an animal and in another instance, depicted him selling street food. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela noted that not all content related to public figures could be taken down unless it was defamatory or disparaging.
The court also heard from counsel representing Google LLC and other defendants involved in the case. Justice Gedela indicated that a detailed order would be issued regarding Kapoor’s plea for interim protection. This legal action by Arjun Kapoor is part of a trend where several high-profile personalities, including cricketers, spiritual leaders, and actors, have sought court intervention to prevent the unauthorized use of their identity, likeness, or AI-generated representations.
