Delhi HC bars online misuse of Abhishek Bachchan’s identity; grants injunction

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has granted protection to actor Abhishek Bachchan’s personality rights, issuing an interim order to restrain websites and online platforms from misusing his name, image, voice, and likeness—especially through unauthorised use and AI-generated content—for commercial purposes.

Justice Tejas Karia, in an order dated September 10 (made public on Friday), said it was evident that attributes linked to Bachchan’s persona were being misused without consent by several digital entities.

“These attributes are linked to the plaintiff's professional work and associations in the course of his career. The unauthorised use of such attributes has the effect of diluting the goodwill and reputation associated with him,” the court observed.

The court noted that such misuse, including the creation of inappropriate and sexually explicit AI-generated content, can cause significant harm. The judge said that the balance of convenience lay in favour of the actor, and failure to issue an injunction would lead to “irreparable loss or harm to the plaintiff and his family, not only financially but also with respect to his right to live with dignity.”

The ex-parte injunction was passed in response to a lawsuit filed by Bachchan to protect his personality rights—a legal doctrine that allows individuals to control the commercial use of their name, image, likeness, or other personal attributes.

According to the actor’s plea, his persona and identity were being used across online platforms, without his consent, to promote products or generate content for monetary gain, infringing on his right to publicity and causing reputational damage.

The court recognised that Bachchan had made out a prima facie case and granted the interim relief until the next hearing.