Delhi HC to pass interim order on Karan Johar's plea to protect personality rights

He filed the suit claiming that various entities have been using his name, image, persona and likeness without his consent for monetary gains.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday indicated that it would pass an order granting interim injunction in favour of filmmaker and producer Karan Johar seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights.

The court issued summons to several online platforms and websites on Johar’s lawsuit and asked social media intermediaries — Meta Platforms and others — to provide Basic Subscriber Information (BSI) along with IT log details.

"In the IA (Interlocutory Application), I will pass a detailed order. Injunction to be granted,” Justice Manmeet PS Arora orally indicated. The court said it would pass an interim order on several issues raised by Johar, including unauthorised sale of merchandise with his name and image, disparity and obscenity, domain name, impersonation and fake profile.

Besides protection of his personality and publicity rights, Johar had also urged the court to pass an order directing certain websites and platforms not to illegally sell merchandise, including mugs and T-shirts, bearing his name and image. He filed the suit claiming that various entities have been using his name, image, persona and likeness without his consent for monetary gains.

"I have a right to ensure that no one unauthorisedly uses my persona, face or voice,” senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao, appearing for Johar, had earlier said. The right to publicity, popularly known as personality rights, is the right to protect, control and profit from one’s image, name or likeness. Johar was also represented by advocate Nizam Pasha and DSK.

The counsel for one of the defendants — Redbubble — said it will take steps to take down the infringing comment enlisted in the plaint within a week.

Also read: Karan Johar wishes Aryan Khan ahead of his Netflix debut series, writes, "Series toh ban gayi beta, Picture abhi baaki hai"

Johar’s plea came after the high court heard and passed interim orders on the plaints filed by actor couple Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan seeking protection of their personality and publicity rights.

The counsel for Meta Platforms (owners of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) submitted that many of the comments flagged in Johar’s suit were not defamatory and passing a blanket injunction will open floodgates for litigation. "These are ordinary people having comments and having discussions. Most of them are satire and jokes and not defamatory,” the counsel said.