Marking a significant legal development amid growing concerns over digital abuse and AI-generated content involving public figures, the Delhi High Court has passed an order protecting the personality and publicity rights of acclaimed actor Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr. (Jr. NTR).
Delhi High Court grants protection to Jr NTR over misuse of name, image and AI; Recognizes her celebrity status
The order comes following a petition filed by the actor, citing widespread unauthorized and commercial exploitation of his identity on various platforms. Taking note of the submissions, the Court granted protection to Jr NTR’s personality rights, prohibiting unauthorized use of his name, image, likeness and related attributes.
As part of the relief, the Court extended protection to unauthorized commercial use of identifiers such as “NTR”, “Junior NTR”, “NTR Jr”, “Taarak”, “Nandamuri Tarak Rama Rao Jr”, “Junior Nandamuri Tarak Rama Rao”, as well as popular nicknames such as “Man of Mass” and “Young Tiger”. Protection also includes his image, likeness and associated personality. The Court directed that if any unauthorized use is found, it should be removed as per applicable laws.
Importantly, at the prima facie stage, the Hon’ble Court clearly held that Jr NTR has attained celebrity status in India, having built immense goodwill and reputation over the course of a successful career. The Court found that their name, image and likeness are uniquely associated with them in the public domain, entitling them to proprietary rights over their personality and associated characteristics.
The Court further held that personality and publicity rights are an integral part of the right to life and liberty under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India, and are enforceable under the existing legal framework including the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Trade Marks Act, 1999.
Further, intermediary platforms have been directed to treat the complaint as a statutory complaint under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 and take action on the identified infringing links within the prescribed timeline.
The order also includes directions against unnamed and unnamed entities, commonly known as John Doe defendants, prohibiting any person from misappropriating or exploiting Jr NTR’s personality rights through merchandise, digital content, morphed visuals, AI-generated content, or other technological means for commercial gain or abuse.
The judgment highlights the judiciary’s evolving approach to the protection of personal identity in the digital age and reinforces the responsibility of platforms and third parties to ensure the lawful and respectful use of a public figure’s personality. The Court said that any misuse which harms or damages the reputation of the actor will attract serious legal consequences under the law.
