{"id":9030,"date":"2025-09-23T12:12:40","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T12:12:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/"},"modified":"2025-09-24T07:58:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T07:58:25","slug":"safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Safeguarding Personality and Publicity Rights in the digital era."},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Landmark_Case_on_Personality_Rights_and_AI_Threats\"><\/span>Landmark Case on Personality Rights and AI Threats<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n  <h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Landmark_Case_Overview\"><\/span>Landmark Case Overview<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n  <p>\n    This case is considered a landmark in recognizing and enforcing the rights of celebrities and public figures \n    against unauthorized commercial exploitation. The Honourable Court, while examining precedents on intellectual \n    property, personality rights, and jurisprudence, took a pragmatic approach by extending protection against \n    emerging threats such as artificial intelligence and deepfake technology.\n  <\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Landmark_Case_on_Personality_Rights_and_AI_Threats\" >Landmark Case on Personality Rights and AI Threats<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Landmark_Case_Overview\" >Landmark Case Overview<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Factual_Background\" >Factual Background<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Plaintiffs\" >Plaintiffs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Defendants\" >Defendants<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Plaintiffs_Contentions\" >Plaintiffs\u2019 Contentions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Defendants_Position\" >Defendants\u2019 Position<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Issues_Before_the_Court\" >Issues Before the Court<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Court_Analysis\" >Court Analysis<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Recognition_of_Personality_Rights\" >Recognition of Personality Rights<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Trademark_Protection_and_Goodwill\" >Trademark Protection and Goodwill<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Irreparable_Harm_and_Public_Interest\" >Irreparable Harm and Public Interest<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Technological_Challenges_%E2%80%93_AI_and_Deepfakes\" >Technological Challenges \u2013 AI and Deepfakes<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Decision\" >Decision<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Analysis\" >Analysis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/safeguarding-personality-and-publicity-rights-in-the-digital-era-2\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n  <h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Factual_Background\"><\/span>Factual Background<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n  <h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Plaintiffs\"><\/span>Plaintiffs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n  <p>\n    <strong>Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty (Plaintiff No.1):<\/strong> A world-renowned cardiac surgeon, philanthropist, \n    and Chairman of Narayana Hrudayalaya Ltd. With over 25 years of experience, he has contributed significantly \n    to cardiology and founded several healthcare foundations and institutions. He was also featured in the Netflix \n    series <em>The Surgeon\u2019s Cut<\/em>. His reputation as a healthcare innovator makes him a public figure entitled \n    to protect his personality rights.\n  <\/p>\n  <p>\n    <strong>Narayana Hrudayalaya Ltd. (Plaintiff No.2):<\/strong> A public company incorporated in 2000, known for \n    its registered trademarks <em>Narayana Health<\/em> and <em>Narayana Hrudayalaya<\/em>. It operates several \n    specialty and multi-specialty hospitals across India. Its main hospital in Bangalore is internationally recognized \n    and houses the world\u2019s largest pediatric cardiac ICU.\n  <\/p>\n\n  <h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Defendants\"><\/span>Defendants<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n  <p>\n    The defendants include several identified and unidentified individuals managing social media handles and websites. \n    Defendants 1 and 2 created a Facebook page titled <em>Medicine Me<\/em> and <em>QDD Millano Nightlife TV<\/em>, while \n    Defendants 4\u20138 ran a YouTube channel. They were accused of creating, uploading, and sharing fake and misleading videos \n    featuring manipulated images and doctored content of Plaintiff No.1 to promote health products and services for \n    illegal commercial gain.\n  <\/p>\n\n  <h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Plaintiffs_Contentions\"><\/span>Plaintiffs\u2019 Contentions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n  <ul>\n    <li>\n      <strong>Personality Rights:<\/strong> Dr. Shetty, as a public figure with reputation and identifiability, \n      holds enforceable personality rights. Unauthorized use of his image or persona violates his right to publicity.\n    <\/li>\n    <li>\n      <strong>Trademark Infringement:<\/strong> The defendants\u2019 unauthorized use of Narayana Health\u2019s registered marks \n      infringes the plaintiff\u2019s trademark rights under the Trade Marks Act, 1999, causing irreparable harm to both \n      the hospital and its patients.\n    <\/li>\n    <li>\n      <strong>Goodwill and Public Interest:<\/strong> Misuse of Dr. Shetty\u2019s persona damaged his personal reputation \n      and deceived the public into believing false medical claims and advice, undermining trust in genuine healthcare.\n    <\/li>\n    <li>\n      <strong>Technological Manipulation:<\/strong> The use of manipulated videos and deepfake technology poses \n      new threats to personality rights, affecting Dr. Shetty\u2019s goodwill and eroding public trust in authentic \n      medical guidance.\n    <\/li>\n  <\/ul>\n  <p>\n    The plaintiffs urged the court to grant injunctive relief to safeguard their rights and protect public interest.\n  <\/p>\n\n  <h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Defendants_Position\"><\/span>Defendants\u2019 Position<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n  <p>\n    There were 13 defendants in total, divided into identified and unidentified categories. Defendant No.5 expressed \n    willingness to delete the infringing content. However, many unidentified defendants (anonymous Facebook and \n    YouTube operators) did not appear before the court. Consequently, the Court issued an <em>ex parte<\/em> order \n    against the absent defendants, prioritizing the immediate protection of the plaintiffs\u2019 rights.\n  <\/p>\n\n  <h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Issues_Before_the_Court\"><\/span>Issues Before the Court<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n  <ol>\n    <li>\n      Whether Plaintiff No.1 (Dr. Devi Shetty) could claim enforceable personality rights and seek injunction \n      against their unauthorized use?\n    <\/li>\n    <li>\n      Whether the defendants\u2019 use of registered trademarks <em>Narayana Health<\/em> and <em>Narayana Hrudayalaya<\/em> \n      constituted infringement and passing off?\n    <\/li>\n    <li>\n      Whether interim injunctive relief should be granted, and what protective measures the court should adopt to \n      address misuse through emerging technologies like AI and deepfakes?\n    <\/li>\n  <\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Court_Analysis\"><\/span>Court Analysis<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Hon\u2019ble Justice Mini Pushkarna<\/strong> presided over the case and conducted a structured examination of the claims.<\/p>\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Recognition_of_Personality_Rights\"><\/span>Recognition of Personality Rights<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>\nThe court recognized that Plaintiff No. 1 is a public figure with a reputation extending beyond India. \nAs a renowned surgeon, philanthropist, and global healthcare leader, he holds enforceable personality rights. \nAlthough personality rights are not explicitly mentioned under Articles 19 and 21, the court reaffirmed, through precedents, \nthat they are an intrinsic part of these Articles. \n<\/p>\n<p>\nThe <em>dual test<\/em>\u2014examining reputation and identifiability\u2014was also satisfied in this case, further establishing Plaintiff No. 1\u2019s rights.\n<\/p>\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trademark_Protection_and_Goodwill\"><\/span>Trademark Protection and Goodwill<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>\nPlaintiff No. 2\u2019s marks had gained statutory and common law protection through consistent use and public recognition. \nAny unauthorized or commercial use of these marks amounted to infringement and passing off. \nThe court stressed that the reputation and consumer recognition of Narayana Health made it essential to prevent all deceptive misuse.\n<\/p>\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Irreparable_Harm_and_Public_Interest\"><\/span>Irreparable Harm and Public Interest<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>\nThe court observed that the impugned content could mislead vulnerable groups into unsafe medical practices, \ndamaging the plaintiffs\u2019 image and endangering public health. \nThus, the balance of convenience lay in granting an injunction in the plaintiffs\u2019 favor.\n<\/p>\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Technological_Challenges_%E2%80%93_AI_and_Deepfakes\"><\/span>Technological Challenges \u2013 AI and Deepfakes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>\nThe court highlighted the rising threat of <strong>deepfake technology<\/strong>, which can replicate an individual\u2019s likeness with alarming accuracy. \nThis creates false endorsements and erodes public trust. \nThe court stressed the need for extending legal protection against such digital manipulations to safeguard both personal dignity and public confidence.\n<\/p>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Decision\"><\/span>Decision<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\nThe court found a strong <em>prima facie<\/em> case and granted extensive interim relief:\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n  <li><strong>Ex Parte Ad Interim Injunction:<\/strong> Defendants 1\u20138 and 13 were restrained from misusing Plaintiff No. 1\u2019s persona (name, likeness, image, videos) for any personal or commercial gain, including future technologies like AI and deepfakes.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Trademark Injunction:<\/strong> Defendants were prohibited from infringing Plaintiff No. 2\u2019s registered trademarks, including deceptive use of \u201cNarayana Health\u201d or \u201cNarayana Hrudayalaya.\u201d<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Takedown Orders:<\/strong> Facebook (Defendant 9) and Google\/YouTube (Defendant 10) were directed to remove infringing content and disclose account details of the publishers.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Broader Preventive Measures:<\/strong> Plaintiffs were allowed to approach Defendants 9 and 19 to remove additional infringing content during proceedings, with liberty to seek further orders.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Telecom and Internet Blocking:<\/strong> Defendants 11 and 12 were ordered to notify internet service providers to suspend violative content affecting plaintiffs\u2019 rights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Analysis\"><\/span>Analysis<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\nThis case is a landmark in fortifying personality and publicity rights in India, especially for individuals whose reputations have global recognition. \nIt sets a precedent against the exploitation of such rights on digital platforms.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nThe judgment also addresses the growing challenges of artificial intelligence and deepfakes, showing judicial adaptability to technological threats. \nThe welfare-oriented approach emphasized protecting vulnerable sections of society, recognizing that safeguarding reputation and goodwill \nis both a private right and a matter of public importance.\n<\/p>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\nThe Delhi High Court\u2019s decision demonstrates the proactive role of Indian courts in adapting legal principles to the digital era. \nBy upholding personality rights and acknowledging the dangers of deepfakes, the court strengthened both individual dignity and consumer protection.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nThis judgment stands at the intersection of property law, constitutional rights, and technology law. \nIt sends a strong deterrent message against unauthorized exploitation of celebrity persona while underlining \nthe judiciary\u2019s readiness to address novel digital challenges.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Landmark Case on Personality Rights and AI Threats Landmark Case Overview This case is considered a landmark in recognizing and enforcing the rights of celebrities and public figures against unauthorized commercial exploitation. The Honourable Court, while examining precedents on intellectual property, personality rights, and jurisprudence, took a pragmatic approach by extending protection against emerging threats<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":360,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"two_page_speed":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[28],"class_list":{"0":"post-9030","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-intellectual-property","7":"tag-top-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/360"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9030"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9030\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}