Mumbai, June 1: The Delhi High Court has granted actor Varun Dhawan an interim order, prohibiting the unauthorized use of his identity. The court ruled that no individual or entity may use Varun Dhawan’s name, image, voice, likeness, signature, or any characteristic associated with his personality without his consent.
This order also extends to fake content created using artificial intelligence (AI), deepfake technology, and other modern techniques.
The case emerged when Varun Dhawan filed a lawsuit against several online event booking platforms, e-commerce websites, social media accounts, internet intermediaries, and some unidentified individuals. The actor alleged that his popularity and identity were being misused on a large scale, harming his reputation.
The petition stated that certain websites and platforms were allegedly operating celebrity booking services in Varun Dhawan’s name. Additionally, products bearing his name and image were being sold in various locations. Misleading and defamatory content about him was also circulating on social media, potentially sending incorrect messages to the public.
A significant concern raised in the case was the use of AI and deepfake technology. According to the petition, some individuals had created fake images and videos of Varun Dhawan using these technologies. These materials depicted the actor in scenarios that had no basis in reality. Varun Dhawan argued that such content not only confuses the public but also damages his public image.
He informed the court that some obscene and objectionable content was being circulated in connection with his name and identity. This type of content could severely impact his reputation and personal dignity.
During the hearing, Justice Jyoti Singh carefully considered Varun Dhawan’s arguments. The court noted that he is a popular actor in the Hindi film industry with over 14 years of experience. Throughout this time, he has built a strong identity and reputation through hard work and talent.
The court stated that Varun Dhawan’s name, image, voice, likeness, signature, and other personal attributes are directly linked to him. All of these are vital parts of his identity and have commercial value. Therefore, legal protection for these attributes is essential.
The court further noted that Varun Dhawan has also secured his name and signature as trademarks. Thus, using these identity features without permission would violate his rights. If a prohibition were not imposed at this stage, Varun Dhawan could suffer irreparable harm.
Justice Jyoti Singh remarked that some defendants appeared to be using the actor’s identity for commercial gain. This included offering unauthorized event bookings, selling products bearing his name and image, and creating misleading content through AI.
During the hearing, the court expressed particular concern about objectionable content generated using deepfake and AI technologies. The court stated that such material could mislead people and damage an individual’s image. Therefore, strict action in these cases is necessary.
In its order, the High Court directed the defendants and associated individuals not to use Varun Dhawan’s name, image, voice, likeness, or any aspect of his identity for personal or commercial gain. This prohibition will also apply to technologies such as artificial intelligence, generative AI, machine learning, deepfake, face morphing, and AI chatbots.
Additionally, the court ordered several websites, e-commerce portals, and social media platforms to remove all links and content violating the actor’s rights within 36 hours. It also instructed that any new content violating these rights should be removed within the specified timeframe.
During the proceedings, one defendant informed the court that they had already removed the disputed profile upon receiving a copy of the lawsuit. The court recorded this statement and scheduled the next hearing for August 5 before the Joint Registrar, with a subsequent hearing set for October 1 in the High Court.
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