Delhi High Court protects Amitabh Bachchan from unauthorized use of his persona

The Delhi High Court has permanently protected the personality rights of veteran Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav issued the order on November 5, following a suit filed by the actor in 2022.

Settlements

Four entities settled the matter after acknowledging Bachchan's right to privacy and publicity rights. One individual removed a mobile application named Amitabh Bachchan Video Call. Another stopped publishing a General Knowledge Quizbook that used the actor's image. A third person stopped selling posters featuring Bachchan's name, likeness, and image. A fourth person deleted the domain name amitabhbachchan.in in November 2022 without earning money from it. All four parties promised not to use any part of the actor's persona again without clear permission.

Court Ruling

Other defendants, including unknown entities, failed to appear or file written statements. Their right to file statements ended on September 25, 2023. The court noted that timelines in commercial suits cannot be extended. The court's interim order from November 2022 now merges into the final decree. The ruling also applies to unknown entities and anonymous websites, applications, posters, and messaging platforms.

Context

Personality rights protect well-known people from having their name, image, and voice used for commercial gain without permission. Courts grant such protections to stop businesses and individuals from cashing in on a celebrity's fame.