The Delhi High Court has extended interim protection to actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a case involving unauthorised use of her name, photographs, and likeness, including misuse through artificial intelligence, across digital platforms and commercial products.
Justice Tejas Karia on Thursday directed several platforms—among them e-commerce websites and Google LLC—to remove and block the URLs flagged in the actress’s petition. Google has been ordered to act within 72 hours of receiving formal notice by taking down or disabling the specified web addresses.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) have been asked to issue instructions to ensure that the identified URLs are blocked and taken offline.
The case will be now taken up on January 15, 2026.
The court remarked that exploiting a public figure’s identity without their consent can result in commercial harm and infringe upon their right to dignity. Aishwarya, it observed, had demonstrated a strong prima facie case, and the balance of convenience clearly leaned in her favour.
“The unauthorised use of the Plaintiff’s name, image, and likeness is an infringement,” the court stated. It added that such actions could mislead the public into believing the Plaintiff had endorsed the related products or platforms.
The court also noted that technological tools, including AI, were being used by some defendants to replicate and misuse elements of Aishwarya’s persona without permission. This, it said, was not only financially damaging but also harmful to her reputation and dignity.
Acknowledging her stature in the entertainment industry, the court pointed out that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has served as a brand ambassador for several major companies, and her association commands substantial public trust and goodwill.
representing Aishwarya, senior advocate Sandeep Sethi highlighted widespread misuse of her identity, both for commercial gain and inappropriately. He told the court that many websites falsely presented themselves as her official platforms, misleading the public and infringing on her publicity rights.
He also showed YouTube screenshots with AI-generated or morphed images falsely attributed to the actress. “These are not her photographs. She has not authorised them,” Sethi said, further noting the circulation of morphed and obscene visuals. “Some of these supposed ‘intimate’ photos are entirely fabricated,” he added.
Representing Google, advocate Mamta Rani told the court that specific URLs must be provided before content can be removed. Justice Karia acknowledged that while a consolidated order was ideal, individual injunctions may be necessary based on the scope and nature of each violation.
The court indicated that the plaintiff may either use the Blocking and Screening Instructions (BSI) mechanism or supply particular links for takedown. It clarified that orders would be passed separately for each defendant unless a combined ruling was feasible.
Following this case, actor Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya’s husband, also approached the Delhi High Court seeking to protect his own image and persona from unauthorised commercial use.
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