The Madras High Court has provided interim relief to veteran actor Kamal Haasan in a legal case, preventing the unauthorized commercial use of his personality rights, which includes his name, image, and other attributes linked to his public image. This decision comes after the court restrained a Chennai-based firm, Neeye Vidai, and other unidentified individuals from selling merchandise like T-shirts bearing the actor’s image or name without his permission. The court order will be effective until the next hearing.
Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy issued the interim injunction in response to a plea filed by Kamal Haasan, who sought protection against the sale of products featuring his persona without consent. The court acknowledged that the actor had presented a strong initial case against the unauthorized commercial exploitation of his personality rights. Senior counsel Satish Parasaran, supported by advocate Vijayan Subramanian, represented the actor in court and argued that such unauthorized use infringed upon Haasan’s personality and publicity rights. The judge emphasized that while legitimate creative expressions like caricatures or satire were allowed, any commercial misuse of the actor’s persona was not permissible.
Kamal Haasan, a highly acclaimed actor known for his diverse roles across various film industries, highlighted his extensive contributions to Indian cinema in his plea. With a career spanning over six decades and appearances in numerous films across different languages, Haasan has received several prestigious awards and accolades for his outstanding performances. The court also directed the actor to publish a public notice about the interim order in English and Tamil newspapers to ensure widespread awareness of the injunction.
