New Delhi: Legendary playback singer Kumar Sanu has filed a petition before the Delhi High Court to safeguard his personality and publicity rights — including his distinctive voice, singing style, likeness, and mannerisms — from unauthorised commercial use.

The case, listed for hearing on October 13 before Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, seeks judicial protection against third parties using his persona and voice without consent, particularly through artificial intelligence and digital cloning.

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According to the plea, filed through advocates Shikha Sachdeva and Sana Raees Khan, Sanu’s name, voice, likeness, and persona have been exploited in unauthorised GIFs, videos, and AI-generated performances that distort his artistic identity and could mislead the public. The singer contends such content not only causes reputational harm but also infringes upon his moral rights under the Copyright Act.

The suit argues that these activities generate revenue for creators through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, based on views and engagement, amounting to commercial exploitation of his persona.

Sanu has also raised concerns about false endorsements, voice cloning, and the morphing of his face in AI-generated content — practices he claims dilute his identity and mislead audiences about his association with certain products or content.

His petition seeks a permanent injunction restraining such unauthorised use, along with directions to social media platforms to prevent monetisation or dissemination of AI-generated content using his image or voice without permission.
(With PTI inputs)