Delhi High Court Protects Actor Nagarjuna’s Personality Rights, Bars Misuse of Name and Image
Order Blocks Infringing URLs, Safeguards Actor’s Reputation from Unauthorized and AI-Driven Exploitation
The Delhi High Court has granted protection to the personality rights of Telugu film star Akkineni Nagarjuna, restraining third parties, including unknown entities, from unauthorized use of his name, image, likeness, or persona. In an order passed by Justice Tejas Karia on September 25, the Court cited the unique distinctiveness of Nagarjuna’s public persona and held that such unauthorized use causes confusion and risks the actor’s reputation and economic interests.
The Court directed the blocking of URLs that infringed on Nagarjuna’s personality rights, responding to concerns raised in his plea about misuse across social media, merchandise, and morphed content—including AI-generated images uploaded on platforms like YouTube. Nagarjuna’s counsel argued that continued unauthorized use could further escalate if permitted for the training of AI models, posing grave threats to privacy, dignity, and commercial interests.
The judgment ensures Nagarjuna’s rights to live with dignity and protects his reputation and goodwill against deception and misappropriation by others.