Delhi High Court - Karan Johar Personality Rights

The Delhi High Court indicated its intention to grant an interim injunction in favor of filmmaker Karan Johar to protect his personality rights against unauthorized and disparaging online use of his name, image, and persona on various digital platforms including Google, Meta, and others. The court directed social media intermediaries to provide subscriber and IT log details to aid the investigation and imposed obligations to take down infringing content. Johar's counsel articulated concerns over invasive and monetized misuse of his personality involving ridiculing innuendos that harm his reputation and dignity. The court highlighted parallels with earlier orders protecting the personality rights of actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, emphasizing the legal recognition of the right to privacy and dignity in the digital age and the need to curb unauthorized exploitation through technological means including AI. This sets a precedent for robust judicial protection of celebrity image and personality rights in India’s evolving media landscape.