Kamal Haasan moves Madras HC to protect personality rights
What's the story
Veteran actor Kamal Haasan has filed a John Doe suit (case against unknown individuals) in the Madras High Court to protect his personality rights, reported The Hindu. The suit aims to prevent the unauthorized commercial use of his name, initials, portraits, images or any other attributes associated with him without his consent. Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy will hear the case and interim injunctions plea on Monday (January 12, 2026).
Legal action
Haasan's plea against unauthorized commercial exploitation
In his plaint, the 71-year-old actor told the court that he has been a part of the film industry since childhood and carved a niche for himself through his prowess in various art forms. He highlighted an instance where a Chennai-based firm, Neeye Vidai, sold T-shirts and shirts with his portraits, name, initials, title Ulaganayagan, and famous dialogues from his projects without consent.
Legal request
Haasan seeks a permanent injunction against Neeye Vidai
In his main suit, Haasan has sought a permanent injunction against Neeye Vidai and John Doe entities. He wants the court to restrain them from violating his personality rights by using or exploiting his name, abbreviation KH, image or any other attributes that are exclusively identifiable with him. The actor contended that no one could be allowed to exploit his persona for commercial or personal gains in any manner, including the use of AI and other technologies.
Additional legal action
Haasan filed 4 applications for interim injunctions
Apart from the main suit, Haasan has also filed four applications seeking interim injunctions of a similar nature. He insisted that no one could be permitted to create, share or disseminate products or content violating his personality rights. The actor also submitted a copy of some products to prove how his personality rights had been violated by Neeye Vidai. Meanwhile, on the work front, he was last seen in Mani Ratnam's Thug Life.