Did Abhishek Bachchan Seek Legal Protection for His Personality Rights Like Aishwarya Rai?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Abhishek Bachchan seeks protection for his personality rights.
- Legal action follows his wife Aishwarya Rai's similar petition.
- Focus on preventing misuse of celebrity images online.
- AI-generated content raises new legal challenges.
- Importance of personality rights in the digital age.
Mumbai, Sep 10 (NationPress) Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan has taken a significant step by approaching the Delhi High Court to obtain legal protection for his personality rights, following the example set by his wife, actress Aishwarya Rai.
The purpose of this legal action is to prevent the unauthorized use of his image, likeness, and persona across digital platforms, specifically targeting any manipulated or inappropriate content. Abhishek's legal initiative seeks to safeguard his personality rights and restrict any unauthorized representation of his likeness in the digital realm. On Wednesday, he reportedly filed a petition in the Delhi High Court to secure his publicity and personality rights, asking for a ban on websites and online platforms from using his image, likeness, persona, or distributing manipulated videos, especially those containing sexually explicit material.
Advocate Pravin Anand, representing Abhishek, highlighted that defendants have been producing AI-generated videos and altered images of the actor, including inappropriate content. The 'Dasvi' actor was also supported by advocates Ameet Naik, Madhu Gadodia, and Dhruv Anand. Reports indicate that the 49-year-old actor specifically targeted a site named Bollywood Tee Shop, which has been selling T-shirts featuring Bollywood celebrities. He alleged that his images and overall persona are being exploited without his permission, raising alarms over potential online fraud involving fake identities of public figures. In his petition, Bachchan requested court orders to shut down the website and other violators, as well as the removal of all related links from platforms such as Google and YouTube.
In a statement, Ameet Nayak, a partner at Abhishek Bachchan's legal team, remarked, “The legal framework around personality rights has progressed, with the judiciary recognizing its importance. We are proud to be pioneers in obtaining orders for Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, followed by Mr. Anil Kapoor, Mr. Jackie Shroff, and now for Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan. Such rulings are critical to prevent the misuse of celebrity attributes, particularly via AI and other digital means.”
On September 9, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan also filed a petition in the Delhi High Court, seeking protection of her personality rights, emphasizing the unauthorized exploitation of her name, images, and public persona across digital platforms and commercial products.