Indian actor Manoj Bajpayee has approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality rights, citing the alleged unauthorised use of his image, voice and other identifiable elements of his identity.
The case was heard on Monday by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, with Senior Advocate Swathi Sukumar appearing on behalf of Bajpayee, according to the details provided in the case report.
Bajpayee’s petition raises concerns about the alleged commercial use of his photographs and the use of artificial intelligence to reproduce his voice without permission.
One of the defendants named in the proceedings is H2PG Designs Private Limited. Bajpayee has alleged that the company used his photographs in a way that gave the impression that he was wearing suits associated with the brand.
The actor has also raised concerns over the alleged unauthorised use of AI technology to replicate his voice. His legal petition further seeks protection from AI chatbots that could reproduce or use recognisable elements of his personality.
The case highlights a growing legal issue surrounding artificial intelligence, celebrity identity and personality rights. Modern AI tools can generate increasingly realistic versions of a person’s voice, appearance and other identifiable characteristics, raising questions about consent and commercial use.
During Monday’s hearing, the Delhi High Court also questioned whether Delhi was the appropriate jurisdiction for the case, given that Bajpayee is primarily based in Mumbai.
Bajpayee’s legal team argued that the Delhi High Court has jurisdiction because some of the defendants are based in the national capital.
The court has asked the actor’s lawyers to place previous interim and final orders from personality-rights cases on record. This includes relevant decisions issued by other High Courts, which may provide legal context for the court’s consideration of Bajpayee’s claims.
Personality rights generally involve protections associated with identifiable aspects of an individual, particularly when a person’s name, image, likeness or other characteristics are allegedly used without authorisation. Such cases have become increasingly significant as digital technology makes it easier to reproduce recognisable identities.
For actors and other public figures, AI-generated content can create additional challenges because synthetic voices and images can potentially be produced without the individual directly participating in their creation.
Bajpayee’s petition places these emerging concerns before the Delhi High Court, particularly in relation to the alleged use of AI-generated versions of his identity and commercial exploitation of his image.
The proceedings could add to the developing body of Indian legal cases dealing with AI-generated content and personality rights. However, the court’s questions regarding jurisdiction and its request for previous rulings indicate that the matter is still at an early stage.
The court’s eventual consideration of the relevant personality-rights precedents may help determine how Bajpayee’s claims are addressed in the ongoing proceedings.
