Delhi HC orders removal of 'disparaging material' against Karan Johar
What's the story
The Delhi High Court has protected filmmaker Karan Johar's personality rights and ordered the removal of "disparaging material" against him. The order was issued by Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora on Friday. Justice Arora found that memes, videos, and social media posts on certain platforms contained abusive and profane language that could tarnish Johar's reputation. The court stated that such content affects his brand value and he is entitled to seek an injunction to protect his personality rights.
Account removal
Social media accounts used his name without consent
The court also noted that the social media accounts mentioned in Johar's lawsuit were using his name without authorization. This means they can be taken down because of the objection raised by him. The court said, "The contention of the plaintiff that the said accounts have the potential to mislead the public to believe that the said accounts are the official and/or authorized accounts of the plaintiff is prima facie plausible."
Legal proceedings
Prima facie case established by Johar
Justice Arora stated that Johar had established a prima facie case for granting an ex parte ad interim injunction. The court said, "This court is of the prima facie opinion that if an injunction is not granted in favor of the plaintiff, irreparable loss and harm would be caused to the plaintiff's reputation." The court restrained defendants Perfect Privacy LLC and Giphy from publishing any material that infringes on Johar's personality rights.
Domain suspension
The court orders the suspension of these websites as well
The court also ordered the suspension of the domain name for a website that provided an AI Voice Swap Generator related to Johar. It ordered GoDaddy India Web Services Pvt. Ltd., the service provider, to suspend and lock the disputed domain name. The Court also directed the suspension of the website name at https://beta.opedia.ai/.
Legal action
Defendants were represented by a team of lawyers
In his lawsuit, Johar claimed that multiple entities, including unknown John Does, have used his name and image without permission for financial gain. His plea also includes allegations of the unauthorized sale of merchandise using his name and image, impersonation, and fake profiles. The defendants were represented by a team of lawyers, including Nirupam Lodha, Kshitiz Parashar, and Gautam Wadhwa, among others. Johar's legal victory comes after similar cases involving Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan.