Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has filed a plea in the Delhi High Court to safeguard his personality and publicity rights from alleged misuse on digital platforms, including through AI-generated and morphed content. The case, listed for hearing before Justice Mini Pushkarna, involves Tharoor seeking relief against various defendants, including unidentified parties, for unauthorized use of his persona. The plea also aims to remove deepfake and AI-morphed content circulating online without his consent.
This move by Tharoor comes amidst a rise in disputes over personality rights at the Delhi High Court, with claims of AI-generated impersonation, deepfakes, and unauthorized commercial exploitation of celebrities’ identities. The court recently indicated passing an interim order to protect the personality and publicity rights of entrepreneur Aman Gupta, co-founder of boAt Lifestyle, in a similar suit. Gupta’s case involved allegations of fake endorsements, AI-generated impersonations, and objectionable online content linked to his identity.
The Delhi High Court has seen a surge in cases where high-profile personalities are asserting their personality and publicity rights. Notable figures like Gautam Gambhir, Sunil Gavaskar, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Arjun Kapoor, Allu Arjun, Kajol, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Jubin Nautiyal, Karan Johar, and Raj Shamani have also sought court protection against unauthorized use of their identity, likeness, or AI-generated imitations.
