- The Delhi High Court has granted an ex parte interim injunction to protect former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s personality rights against AI-generated deepfakes, fabricated posts, and unauthorised commercial use of his name, image, and likeness, ruling that such activities damage his reputation and commercial value.
- Justice Jyoti Singh observed that Yuvraj Singh had established a prima facie case for protection and that denying interim relief would cause him irreparable harm.
- The court emphasised that personality rights, including control over one’s name and likeness, are well-recognised and protected, and that unauthorised commercial exploitation amounts to infringement and dilutes an individual’s unique identity.
- The court recorded allegations that several defendants, including unidentified “John Doe” users, were publishing AI-generated images, deepfake videos, and fabricated social media posts depicting false or defamatory incidents.
- Some posts showed the cricketer using vulgar language or behaving aggressively, harming the public perception of his character.
- Additionally, online sellers were found to be manufacturing and marketing merchandise such as T-shirts, posters and stickers featuring Yuvraj Singh’s identity without authorisation, creating a false impression of endorsement and violating his personality rights.
- The court highlighted the misuse of artificial intelligence technology in creating such content and stated that violators of personality and privacy rights must be dealt with firmly.
- It prohibited the defendants from using, reproducing, publishing, displaying or otherwise exploiting Yuvraj Singh’s name, nickname “Yuvi”, image, voice, likeness or other personality attributes without consent for commercial or personal purposes.
- The order directed Meta Platforms to remove the identified Facebook and Instagram URLs within 36 hours.
- Amazon Seller Services and Flipkart Internet were instructed to take down certain product listings, while Turtle Wings and SMEEPS were ordered to remove infringing URLs within 24 hours of receiving the directive.
The Delhi High Court has reinforced the protection of personality rights in the digital age, granting Yuvraj Singh an interim injunction against AI-generated deepfakes and unauthorized commercial use of his identity.13
The court ruled that such activities tarnish Singh's reputation and violate the law, emphasizing the need for strict measures against violators.
Justice Jyoti Singh noted that Yuvraj Singh established a prima facie case for protection, stating that denying interim relief would cause him irreparable harm.2
The court highlighted that personality rights, including control over one’s name and likeness, are well-recognized and protected, and unauthorized commercial exploitation amounts to infringement.
The court recorded allegations against several defendants, including unidentified “John Doe” users, for publishing AI-generated images and deepfake videos that falsely depicted Singh in a negative light, including using vulgar language and aggressive behavior.45
Such content harms the public perception of Singh's character, who is celebrated for his contributions to India's 2011 World Cup victory and philanthropic work with the YouWeCan Foundation.
The court prohibited defendants from using Singh's name, image, and likeness without consent, specifically targeting content generated by AI technologies.
It directed Meta Platforms to remove identified URLs within 36 hours and instructed online sellers to take down unauthorized merchandise featuring Singh's identity.69
The court reiterated that unauthorized commercial use of a person's name or likeness dilutes their unique identity and enables unlawful commercial gain, reinforcing the need for protective measures in the age of artificial intelligence.
“The court ordered Meta Platforms to remove flagged Facebook and Instagram URLs within 36 hours, and Amazon Seller Services, Flipkart Internet, Turtle Wings and SMEEPS to take down infringing listings. Citing precedents like Anil Kapoor, Justice Jyoti Singh said violators must be dealt with 'with a heavy hand.'”
The News Mill
