Imagine scrolling through social media and coming across a video of a celebrity doing something they never actually did. With AI making it easier to create fake videos and alter people’s faces and voices,
this has become a growing concern. Vijay Deverakonda has now approached the Delhi High Court over the misuse of his identity, and the court has taken up the matter.
Justice Vikas Mahajan has restrained the unauthorised use of Vijay’s name, face, voice and other personal attributes without his permission. The court has also directed Meta, Google and X to permanently remove content identified by the actor, including videos, reels, posts, accounts and channels that allegedly misuse or imitate him.
The court has given online platforms and other concerned parties 72 hours to act on the content mentioned in the order. According to ANI, online marketplaces must remove the identified links within 72 hours of receiving a copy of the order. Domain name registrars have also been asked to lock and suspend the specified domains within the same deadline.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications have been directed to issue the necessary instructions to internet and telecom service providers. They must ensure that access to the websites listed in the order is blocked or removed within 72 hours of receiving a copy.
The concerned parties will also have to submit compliance affidavits within two weeks. The court observed that Vijay had made a strong prima facie case for protecting his personality rights. It also said the balance of convenience favoured the actor. The court felt that his concerns about possible damage to his image were genuine and that money alone might not be enough to make up for the harm caused.
Vijay had approached the Delhi High Court over the alleged unauthorised commercial use of his name, photographs, voice and other distinctive features. He also raised concerns about AI-generated and morphed videos that allegedly showed him in obscene, vulgar and objectionable situations.
The protection granted by the court covers more than just his name and face. It also includes the names ‘Vijay Deverakonda’, ‘Vijay Devarakonda’ and ‘Vijay Sai Deverakonda’, as well as his initials ‘VD’.
His voice recordings, signatures, fashion style, photographs, movie stills and performances are also covered by the order. In simple terms, people cannot use these aspects of his identity without permission in ways that violate the court’s directions.
There is, however, one interesting detail in the order. The court refused to grant an ex-parte interim injunction against the standalone use of the word ‘Rowdy’ on the ground of passing off.
The reason? Evidence would be needed to establish that the word had developed a distinct meaning exclusively associated with Vijay. But there’s a catch. If someone uses an AI-generated or morphed image of the actor along with the word ‘Rowdy’, that would still fall under the protection granted to his personality rights.
The court has also allowed online platforms to seek clarification from Vijay if they have questions about why specific URLs have been included in the order.
Websites and social media accounts that are not primarily involved in infringing activity can approach the court too. They can give an undertaking that they do not intend to violate Vijay’s personality rights and ask for the injunction to be modified.
The court has issued notices to the defendants and asked them to file their replies within four weeks.
The matter will next be heard before the Joint Registrar on December 3 for the completion of service and pleadings. The next court hearing is scheduled for February 2, 2027.
