Hyderabad Court Shields Chiranjeevi’s Personality Rights from AI Misuse

A civil court in Hyderabad has granted veteran Telugu actor Konidela Chiranjeevi legal protection over his personality and publicity rights, issuing an ad-interim injunction that bars more than 30 online entities from using his name, image, voice, or likeness for any purpose without his consent.

 

The order, passed by Chief Judge S Sasidhar Reddy on September 26, came in response to Chiranjeevi’s plea seeking urgent relief against the unauthorised and AI-driven misuse of his personal attributes across digital platforms.

 

The injunction applies to various online entities, including e-commerce websites, YouTube channels, and digital media outlets.

 

Recognising Chiranjeevi as one of the most iconic figures in Indian cinema -- a Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awardee with a career spanning over four decades -- the court observed that his image, voice, and nicknames such as “Mega Star,” “Chiru,” “Annayya,” and “Boss” have immense commercial and reputational value.

 

Citing precedents from Indian courts on personality rights, the judge noted that the actor’s persona constitutes a protectable asset.

 

Chiranjeevi argued that several online platforms were misusing his photographs, film titles, and AI-generated content to sell merchandise or circulate manipulated videos, potentially misleading the public into believing he endorsed such products or views.

 

The court agreed, noting that morphed images and videos could be exploited not only for commercial purposes but also for political, anti-national, or even pornographic content — causing irreparable damage to the actor’s reputation.

 

Finding the balance of convenience in Chiranjeevi’s favour, the court restrained defendants 1 to 33 and 36 from infringing upon his identity, image, or titles across any platform, including emerging digital spaces such as the Metaverse and AI-generated media.

 

Given the rapid spread of digital content, the court also waived the requirement of prior notice to most defendants, stating that doing so could defeat the purpose of the injunction.

 

However, interim relief was not granted against the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications, due to mandatory procedural requirements under Section 80 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

 

The matter is scheduled for its next hearing on October 27.

 

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