The Delhi High Court has passed an order protecting the personality and publicity rights of acclaimed actor Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr. (Jr NTR), marking a significant legal development amid growing concerns over digital misuse and AI-generated content involving public figures.
Delhi High Court grants Jr NTR protection over name, image and ai misuse; recognises his celebrity status
The order follows a petition filed by the actor, citing widespread unauthorised and commercial exploitation of his identity across various platforms. Taking note of the submissions, the Court granted protection to Jr NTR’s personality rights, restraining unauthorised use of his name, image, likeness, and associated attributes.
As part of the relief, the Court extended protection to the unauthorised commercial use of identifiers such as “NTR”, “Jr. NTR”, “NTR Jr.”, “Tarak”, “Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr.”, “Jr. Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao”, as well as popular sobriquets including “Man of Masses” and “Young Tiger”. The protection also covers his image, likeness, and related persona. The Court directed that any unauthorised usage, if found, must be taken down in accordance with applicable laws.
Importantly, at a prima facie stage, the Hon’ble Court expressly recognised that Jr NTR has attained celebrity status in India, having built immense goodwill and reputation over the course of a successful career. The Court observed that his name, image, and likeness are uniquely associated with him in the public domain, entitling him to proprietary rights over his personality and related attributes.
The Court further noted that personality and publicity rights form an integral part of the right to life and freedom under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India, and are enforceable under existing legal frameworks including the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Trade Marks Act, 1999.
In addition, intermediary platforms have been directed to treat the plaint as a statutory complaint under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and to act upon identified infringing links within the prescribed timelines.
The order also includes directions against unidentified and anonymous entities, commonly referred to as John Doe defendants, restraining any person from misappropriating or exploiting Jr NTR’s personality rights through merchandise, digital content, morphed visuals, AI-generated material, or other technological means for commercial gain or misuse.
The ruling highlights the judiciary’s evolving approach to safeguarding individual identity in the digital age and reinforces the responsibility of platforms and third parties to ensure lawful and respectful use of a public figure’s persona. Any misuse that harms or damages the actor’s reputation, the Court observed, would attract serious legal consequences under the law.
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