The Delhi High Court responds…
Misuse of identity on social media platforms has become a menace to the celebs. Pawan Kalyan felt the need and right to control his name and identity, and the exploitation of his personality rights. After he filed a suit, the Delhi High Court responded positively. Acknowledging his right to control his name against unauthorized use of apps, merchandise, it had asked Pawan to submit details of the infringing links within two days. Intermediaries have also been instructed to take necessary action within a week. The next hearing on the case is scheduled on December 22. Such rights under Article 19 (Freedom of Speech/Expression) and Article 21 (Right to Life/Dignity) of the Indian Constitution protects and establishes individual identity as valuable property and links them to Privacy & Free Speech. It further boosts celeb publicity rights as protection against misuse.
Several celebs followed suit
Pawan Kalyan is one of the biggest stars in Tollywood. Apart from being a politician, his flexis, cutouts, standees and photos are being used in various online platforms for commercial purposes. His team has brought this to the actor’s notice, recently. Pawan responded by filing a suit in the Delhi High Court. After Amitabh Bachchan’s personality rights cases in 2022, several celebs including Chiranjeevi, Anil Kapoor, Jr NTR among many have followed suit. Such acts make it easier for celebs to protect their identity from misuse, especially with AI and deepfakes emerging.
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