Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has moved the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights, joining a growing list of public figures pushing back against the unauthorised commercial use of celebrity identity.According to India Today report, the petition is scheduled for hearing on December 11 before Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora.
Salman Khan seeks curbs on misuse of name, image, voice
In his plea, Khan has requested the court to restrain multiple social media platforms, websites and e-commerce companies from using his name, photograph, voice, likeness or any identifiable aspect of his persona without prior consent.According to the petition, such unauthorised exploitation not only infringes the actor’s personality rights but also misleads the public by creating false endorsements or associations, allowing third parties to profit from his reputation.
What are personality and publicity rights?
Personality or publicity rights grant an individual the legal ability to control and commercially benefit from the use of their name, image, likeness, voice, or other defining personal attributes. These protections have gained heightened relevance in the age of deepfakes, AI-generated content, impersonation scams and unlicensed celebrity-themed merchandise.
A rising trend of celebrity legal action
Khan’s petition comes amid a wave of similar legal moves by high-profile personalities seeking to safeguard their identity in the digital and AI-driven landscape.In recent weeks, the Delhi High Court has granted interim protection to several celebrities, including:Aishwarya Rai BachchanAbhishek BachchanJaya BachchanHrithik RoshanAjay DevgnKaran JoharKumar SanuNagarjunaSri Sri Ravi ShankarSudhir ChaudharyRaj Shamani Meanwhile, Telugu superstar Jr NTR has also approached the court with a similar plea, and an order in his case is awaited.
