Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan have both filed petitions in the Delhi High Court, seeking protection of their publicity and personality rights. Their requests highlight the growing concern over misuse of celebrity identity, including unauthorized websites, manipulated images, and AI-generated content.
Earlier this week, reports confirmed that Aishwarya had approached the court to act against websites misusing her name and image. Soon after, Abhishek also moved the court with a similar plea. His petition asked for blocking of offending websites, removal of unlawful and AI-generated material, and preventive measures against further exploitation. The plea also sought John Doe injunctions, which allow legal action against unknown future offenders likely to misuse his persona.
Explaining the concept of personality rights, Supreme Court advocate Nipun Saxena noted that these rights stem from the Copyright Act, giving actors ownership over their voice, image, body, and likeness. This prevents commercial misuse and false representation.
During Abhishek’s hearing, Justice Tejas Karia asked his legal team to address the court’s queries and set the matter for 2:30 pm. He is represented by lawyers Pravin Anand, Ameet Naik, Madhu Gadodia, and Dhruv Anand.
Aishwarya’s case specifically targets the website aishwaryaworld.com, which falsely claimed to be her official platform. Her counsel, senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, argued that it shared personal information, displayed unauthorized images, and sold merchandise like mugs and T-shirts with her photo. He described the misuse as defamatory and a direct attack on her dignity, urging the court to intervene.
