The Bombay High Court has stepped in to protect Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty’s personality rights following allegations of misuse through AI-generated deepfakes, false endorsements and counterfeit merchandise, marking a significant development in celebrity rights and digital security in India.
Bombay HC grants protection to Suniel Shetty from AI deepfakes and false endorsements
Court provided immediate protection to Sunil Shetty
Justice Arif S Doctor of the Bombay High Court granted immediate interim protection to Suniel Shetty after the actor approached the court citing misuse of his name, image, likeness and other unique aspects of his personality. Shetty argued that these acts are a violation of her fundamental right to privacy and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution as well as her moral rights under the Copyright Act, based on her three-decade-long film career and her endorsement deals with major brands.
AI deepfakes and false advertising: a new threat
Senior lawyer Birendra Saraf, representing Shetty, explained how the digital presence of the star, who is followed by over 13 million fans online, is being misused through AI-deepfakes, unauthorized advertisements and fake social media profiles. The Court found that the obscene AI-generated images of Shetty and his family, along with fake endorsements, were the product of “corrupt minds” misusing technology and posed a threat to Shetty’s personal and professional reputation.
Protecting privacy and dignity
The court ruled that such unauthorized creations not only violate Shetty’s personality rights, but are also a serious violation of privacy and an attack on fundamental rights. Justice Doctor emphasized that these acts could mislead the public by creating a false sense of support, resulting in consumer fraud and abuse of goodwill – essentially a classic case of “getting a pass”.
Comprehensive ban and John Doe order
To deal with the widespread and anonymous nature of these breaches, the Court granted a John Doe order, prohibiting unnamed parties from using Shetty’s persona in any form, including AI-generated content, deepfakes, cloned audio or unauthorized merchandise. Major platforms like Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and X (formerly Twitter) were directed to immediately remove the infringing posts and cooperate with Shetty’s legal team when requested to identify the content creator.
The next hearing of the case is to be held on November 17.
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