Delhi HC Bans Unauthorised Use of Aishwarya Rai’s Name and Photos, Giving Her Major Relief

The Delhi High Court on Thursday ruled in favour of actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, saying that no one can use her name, photos or likeness without permission. The court held that such use violates her privacy and dignity and can also damage her reputation and goodwill. Justice Tejas Karia ordered several parties to stop using her identity through technologies like Artificial Intelligence, warning that this misuse can mislead people into thinking she endorses products or services she has no link with.

Court Explains Personality Rights

The court noted that personality rights let a person control how their image, name and likeness are used. It said that misuse of these rights also affects a person’s right to live with dignity. An ex parte ad interim injunction has been granted to her. It bans all defendants, including unknown people, from using her name “Aishwarya Rai Bachchan”, the short form “ARB”, her pictures, likeness or any such features for commercial or personal profit. This order covers all technologies like AI, deepfakes, face-morphing and machine learning on any platform.

Action Against Misuse Ordered

The High Court told Google LLC to remove the URLs mentioned in the case within 72 hours and give the operators’ details in a sealed form. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology was also ordered to block the listed URLs within seven days. The court also noted her standing as one of India’s most famous actors and brand ambassadors. It warned that any misuse of her image could harm her goodwill.

Details of the Lawsuit

Rai approached the court asking for protection from online platforms that were sharing AI-created obscene content and misusing her identity. Justice Karia also hinted at an interim order to warn the accused parties. Her petition said that some people were using AI and deepfake tools to put her face into sexually explicit videos and pictures. Her lawyer, senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, told the court that “completely fake intimate photos” of the actor were being spread online. He added that her name and photos were being misused for sexual purposes and for selling items like T-shirts and mugs. The defendants listed in the case include websites like aishwaryaworld.com, apkpure.com, bollywoodteeshop.com, kashcollectiveco.com, the online marketplace Etsy, chatbot site jainatorai.com, YouTube channels, Google LLC, the IT Ministry and the Department of Telecommunications.