Kartik Aaryan Personality Rights: Bombay HC Orders Removal Of Content Exploiting Actor's Identity

Bollywood

actorKartik Aaryan has got a big relief after he approached the Bombay High Court seeking protection of his personality rights. The actor filed an intellectual property (IP) suit against several Indian and international e-commerce and social media platforms, claiming unauthorised commercial use of his identity across digital platforms. On Wednesday, the Bombay High Court passed an important order in favour of the Chandu Champion star.

Kartik Aaryan seeks protection of personality rights

Kartik has joined a list of celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Vivek Oberoi, Nagarjuna and Kumar Sanu who have secured similar rights.

As per a report in Bar and Bench, during the hearing on Wednesday, the court indicated it may order the removal of online content that misuses the actor’s identity, including unauthorised commercial use of his name and image across digital platforms. Justice Sharmila Deshmukh said an appropriate order would be passed.Kartik’s counsel, senior advocate Birendra Saraf, pointed out several instances of alleged misuse. He told the court that some content was not only objectionable but also being used for commercial gain, including merchandise sold using the actor’s identity. He added that there were AI-generated videos and other material that could harm the actor’s image. He is being represented by advocates Ameet Naik and Madhu Gadodia, along with Saraf.Taking note of these submissions, Justice Deshmukh said the court would pass suitable directions.

Kartik Aaryan's plea to Bombay High Court

Kartik's lawsuit names a number of Indian and international e-commerce and social media sites, as well as some unnamed parties, and says that they used his name, image, and likeness without permission in ads, merchandise, and other digital content.The actor has also asked the court to tell platforms and authorities to take down this kind of content and name the people who are responsible for it.

These rights give people legal control over how their identity is used in public and for business. If you want to know what it means when a celebrity gets their personality rights, these rights are what they are. This means that you can't use things that are closely related to a person without their permission, like their name, picture, voice, signature, or even well-known phrases.The right to privacy, on the other hand, is about protecting personal dignity and includes things like deepfakes, morphed images, fake endorsements, and manipulated private content.Speaking on the work front, Kartik Aaryan will be next seen in fantasy comedy film Naagzilla. The movie will be released in February 12, 2027.