Manoj Bajpayee moves Delhi HC to protect personality rights

Manoj Bajpayee moves Delhi High Court to protect personality rights from AI misuse - Report

Manoj Bajpayee has approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality rights, claiming his image, voice and identity are being misused, including through artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

Manoj Bajpayee moves court over misuse of identity

The 57-year-old actor filed the plea on Monday. He alleges that his likeness is being used to promote products and that AI is being used to copy his voice and parts of his personality. According to Live Law, the matter came up briefly before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav. Senior Advocate Swathi Sukumar appeared for the actor.

Allegations against the defendants

One issue concerned H2PG Designs Private Limited. Manoj Bajpayee has claimed that the company used his photographs to suggest he was wearing suits made by it.

Another defendant is accused of using AI to create the actor's voice. He has also raised concerns about AI chatbots borrowing elements of his personality.

Why Delhi and not Mumbai?

The court also raised the question of jurisdiction. Justice Kaurav asked why Manoj Bajpayee had come to Delhi when he is mainly based in Mumbai. Sukumar replied that some defendants are based in Delhi, which gives the court power to hear the case.The court suggested the suit could be heard and decreed, especially where defendants do not seem to contest such matters.

Justice Kaurav observed that there was "no point of burdening ourselves" with such cases if the Registrar could routinely handle them instead of holding detailed hearings.

Court asks for details of earlier orders

Sukumar was asked to prepare a compilation of interim and final orders passed in earlier personality rights cases. She must also place on record how other High Courts have dealt with similar matters.

Many celebrities already have similar protection

Bajpayee's plea follows plenty of precedent. The Delhi High Court has earlier protected public figures such as Tabu, cricketers Abhishek Sharma and Yuvraj Singh, politician Shashi Tharoor and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan.Orders have also come in favour of Allu Arjun, Mohanlal, Kajol, R Madhavan, Jr NTR, Sunil Gavaskar, Jubin Nautiyal, Aman Gupta and spiritual preacher Aniruddhacharya.Similar relief has been given elsewhere to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Nagarjuna, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Karan Johar. Salman Khan has also approached the court in a similar matter.

Growing concern over AI misuse

The case reflects rising worry among public figures about unauthorised endorsements and AI-made content that copies their look and voice.