Hyderabad court protected actor Chiranjeevi’s personality rights, observing that morphed images using his face could cause irreparable damage. The court warned such misuse could promote political, anti-national, or pornographic content, justifying a strong injunction against online entities.
A civil court in Hyderabad granted protection to veteran Telugu actor Konidela Chiranjeevi’s personality and publicity rights by issuing an ad-interim injunction that prohibits over 30 online entities from using his name, image, voice, or likeness for commercial or personal purposes without his consent.
This order was delivered by Chief Judge S Sasidhar Reddy on September 26, following a plea from Chiranjeevi seeking urgent relief against the misuse of his personal attributes, including through artificial intelligence and future digital formats.
The injunction applies to various entities, such as e-commerce platforms, YouTube channels, and digital media outlets.
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The court recognized Chiranjeevi, a recipient of the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards, as one of the most recognizable figures in the Telugu and Southern film industries, with a career spanning since 1978. He has garnered significant public goodwill as an actor, philanthropist, and former politician.
The court noted that the actor’s names and titles such as “Mega Star,” “Chiru,” “Annayya,” “Boss,” and “Mega Star Chiru” along with his voice and image, are vital components of his personality that carry substantial commercial and reputational value.
The court stated,
“The plaintiff’s claim to his personality rights is based on a body of jurisprudence laid down by the High Courts,”
Chiranjeevi claimed that various online platforms have been using his images and film titles to market T-shirts, posters, and other merchandise, while AI-generated images, memes, and videos misrepresent him, potentially damaging his reputation.
The court concurred, stating that such unauthorized use could mislead the public into thinking that Chiranjeevi endorses the products or ideas presented.
The judge remarked,
“This contention is also prima facie acceptable in view of the various images that are filed in the petition. These images show that the images appear to have been created by morphing them using the face of the plaintiff. Further, the images are also used for creating various videos. This can be used not only for commercial purposes but also for propagating political ideas or anti-national ideas or for salacious or pornographic purposes. Hence, the contention that if such use is made the damage caused would be irreparable is prima facie acceptable,”
Consequently, the court determined that the balance of convenience favored the actor and restrained defendants 1 to 33 and 36 from “infringing the plaintiff’s personality and publicity rights” by using or exploiting his identity, image, voice, or titles across any medium physical, electronic, or forthcoming digital platforms like the Metaverse or AI-driven media.
Considering the rapid pace of digital dissemination, the court waived the requirement for prior notice to most defendants, noting that such a requirement would render the petition ineffective given the large number of defendants and the swift nature of social media propagation.
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However, interim relief denied against the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications due to the mandatory notice requirement under Section 80 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
The case is scheduled for a follow-up hearing on October 27.
Chiranjeevi was represented by advocates S Nagesh Reddy and Zainab Khan.
Case Title: Konidela Chiranjeevi Vs Mad Monkey Store