Delhi High Court to rule on Vijay Deverakonda's personality rights plea

The Delhi High Court is set to rule on a petition by actor Vijay Deverakonda seeking to protect his personality rights from fake endorsements, AI-generated deepfakes, and unauthorised merchandise.

Justice Vikas Mahajan heard the actor's plea on Thursday and said he would pass an order on the request for an interim injunction. The court has issued summons to the defendants and issued notices regarding the injunction application.

Deverakonda, best known for his roles in Telugu cinema blockbusters like Arjun Reddy, is the latest high-profile figure to turn to the courts to shield his digital identity. His legal team, led by Senior Advocate Swathi Sukumar, argued that the actor's likeness is being systematically exploited without his consent.

Sukumar told the court that Deverakonda is aggrieved by a range of unauthorised commercial activities. These include individuals pretending to be his personal agents, companies creating fake product endorsements, and vendors selling unauthorised merchandise using his images and personality traits.

The threat of AI and deepfakes

The actor's team also raised concerns over the rise of artificial intelligence-generated content. Sukumar highlighted digitally manipulated images of Deverakonda circulating online, as well as obscene and offensive posts featuring foul language.

Since the lawsuit was filed and served, several offending web links have already been taken down, Sukumar informed the court.

The case, filed as Vijay Sai Deverakonda v. Ashok Kumar John Doe & Ors, targets both known and unknown offenders. In Indian law, "John Doe" lawsuits allow plaintiffs to seek injunctions against anonymous internet users, website hosts, and sellers whose exact identities cannot be established at the time of filing.

A growing legal shield for celebrities

The Delhi High Court has recently emerged as a primary forum for celebrities seeking to protect their personal brands from digital theft and AI manipulation. Similar protective orders have been granted to a long list of actors, athletes, and public figures, including Kajol, Allu Arjun, Mohanlal, R Madhavan, NTR Junior, and Salman Khan.

Beyond film stars, the court has extended personality rights protection to cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar and Yuvraj Singh, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and politicians such as Shashi Tharoor and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan.

These legal battles generally focus on the commercial exploitation of a celebrity's unique markers—their name, voice, signature, and face. With the rapid proliferation of generative AI tools that can easily clone voices and swap faces, legal experts say such lawsuits are becoming essential for public figures to protect their livelihoods and reputations.