Hyderabad court protects Chiranjeevi's personality rights, halts online exploitation
What's the story
In a significant legal victory, a Hyderabad civil court has protected the personality and publicity rights of veteran actor Chiranjeevi. The court issued an interim injunction preventing 30+ online entities from using Chiranjeevi's name, image, or voice commercially or personally without consent. The order was passed by Chief Judge S Sasidhar Reddy on September 26.
Legal proceedings
Chiranjeevi filed a complaint against online platforms
The court's decision came after Chiranjeevi lodged a complaint against several online platforms for misusing his identity. These platforms were allegedly using his image and name for promotions and sales through merchandise, digital content, and advertisements. The court noted that the plaintiff's claim to his personality rights is based on established jurisprudence laid down by the High Courts.
Identity protection
Legal team highlighted misuse of actor's identity
Chiranjeevi's lawyers informed the court that numerous companies and social media pages were using his image, including AI-generated versions that were fake, misleading, and potentially harmful to his reputation. The court also noted that prior notices would be largely ineffective given the rapid spread of digital content. The bench observed, "This can be used not only for commercial purposes but also for propagating political ideas or anti-national ideas...or pornographic purposes." The next hearing is scheduled for October 27.