HC finds evidence of violation of Pawan Kalyan's personality rights
What's the story
The Delhi High Court recently found "prima facie" (at first glance) evidence of a breach of actor-turned-politician K Pawan Kalyan's personality rights, reported The Hindu. The court was hearing a petition from Kalyan, seeking protection for his personality rights. The court held that Kalyan's celebrity status clearly grants him ownership rights over his personality and associated attributes.
Legal implications
Unauthorized use of Kalyan's attributes violates his rights
The court said the unauthorized use of Kalyan's attributes violated his personality rights. The defendants in the case include Flipkart Internet Pvt Ltd, Amazon Seller Services Pvt Ltd, Meesho Ltd, Google LLC, Meta Platforms Inc., and several unidentified entities/individuals. These parties are accused of illegally exploiting Kalyan's personality and publicity rights for commercial gain.
Commercial use
Defendants used Kalyan's personality attributes for commercial exploitation
The court noted that some defendants were directly using Kalyan's name, likeness, voice, and image to sell merchandise for commercial gain. Others were using his personality attributes in AI software on their web pages or selling merchandise without his consent. The case has been scheduled for hearing before the Joint Registrar (Judicial) on February 9 and the court on May 12, 2026.
Document submission
Kalyan instructed to submit additional documents by January 22
The court has directed Kalyan to submit any additional documents by January 22, in accordance with the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, and the Delhi High Court (Original Side) Rules, 2018. The judge also permitted any website or affected party, not primarily responsible for infringement, to approach the court with an undertaking.