Relief for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Delhi HC bars misuse of her name, pics

Aishwarya Rai

In major relief to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Delhi High Court has barred anyone from misusing her name and pictures.

The Delhi High Court has come down heavily on the unauthorised use of Aishwarya's name, image, and persona, holding that such exploitation without consent not only causes commercial detriment but also impacts her dignity and reputation.

Granting an interim injunction, the court restrained several websites, companies, and unidentified persons from misusing her identity through digital and AI-driven tools.

Justice Tejas Karia, presiding over the case, emphasized that the unauthorized use of a celebrity's identity--such as their name, image, likeness, or signature--without consent can lead to commercial harm and infringe on their right to live with dignity.

The court found that the misuse of Aishwarya Rai's persona created confusion, falsely implied endorsement, and diluted her reputation and goodwill.

In response, the court imposed broad restrictions on the defendants. They were restrained from violating Rai's personality and publicity rights, moral rights, or passing off goods and services as endorsed by her. The order also prohibited the creation, sharing, or dissemination of AI-generated, deepfake, morphed, or manipulated content across any medium. Additionally, the defendants were barred from misusing her persona for commercial products, advertisements, or online platforms.

The bench directed Google LLC and various e-commerce platforms to take down or disable identified URLs within 72 hours of receiving notice. Furthermore, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Technology were instructed to issue directions for blocking such URLs. In a further measure, the court ordered Google and the concerned platforms to submit, in a sealed cover, all available Basic Subscriber Information of the offenders involved.
Aishwarya Rai was represented by Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, along with advocates Pravin Anand, Ameet Naik, Madhu Gadodia, Dhruv Anand, and Udita Patro.

The Court acknowledged Rai's stature as one of India's most celebrated entertainment figures and a trusted ambassador for global brands. It noted that the misuse of her persona particularly through AI tools like deepfakes and face morphing was unauthorized and damaging.

Such actions, the Court said, not only caused financial loss but also seriously harmed her dignity, reputation, and goodwill.

Senior Advocate Sethi detailed the extent of the violations, citing unauthorized merchandise such as mugs, T-shirts, and drinkware, as well as fraudulent business entities like Aishwarya Nation Wealth, which falsely listed Rai as Chairperson. He also pointed to the circulation of obscene, morphed, and AI-generated content, describing it as a gross violation of her dignity and a misleading tactic that falsely associated Rai with unrelated ventures.

Google's counsel, Advocate Mamta Rani, stated that the platform could only act on specific URLs that were flagged for takedown. Justice Karia acknowledged this limitation and noted that while a unified order would be ideal, individual injunctions might be necessary depending on the nature and extent of each defendant's violations. The Court clarified that Rai could submit specific URLs for takedown or pursue action through the Blocking and Screening Instructions (BSI) process to ensure comprehensive enforcement.

The matter has been scheduled for further proceedings on January 15, 2026. Until then, the interim injunction will continue to safeguard Aishwarya Rai's personality rights. (With ANI Inputs)