Salman Khan Seeks Protection of Personality Rights in Delhi High Court
In a move to safeguard his identity and prevent unauthorized commercial exploitation, Bollywood actor Salman Khan has approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality rights. The petition, which was heard on December 11, 2025, by Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, aims to restrain various social media platforms, e-commerce websites, and other entities from using his name, image, voice, likeness, and other attributes of his persona without prior consent.
Khan's legal action comes amid a rising trend of celebrities seeking judicial intervention to protect their personality and publicity rights in the face of increasing misuse of their identities, particularly in the digital realm. The actor has requested the court to issue directions against named and unnamed defendants (John Doe) from exploiting his persona, citing concerns that such unauthorized use could mislead consumers, diminish his brand value, and cause irreparable harm to his commercial and personal rights.
The petition asserts that numerous platforms and entities have been using his identity without permission, creating a risk of misleading consumers and causing damage to his reputation. Khan's counsel, Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, submitted a compilation identifying the defendants in the case. Justice Arora, while hearing the matter, referenced her earlier orders in similar cases involving actors Ajay Devgn and NTR Junior, emphasizing that plaintiffs should initially approach social media intermediaries before seeking court intervention. The court indicated that Khan would be directed to notify the platforms, and if objections persist after a week, the court would consider issuing a comprehensive order.
Advocate Sethi agreed to the direction but also highlighted the need for relief against non-intermediary defendants, such as e-marketplaces and entities allegedly selling merchandise or exploiting Khan's image without permission. The court has sought further details on these parties before proceeding.
Personality rights, also known as publicity rights, grant individuals the legal authority to control and profit from the commercial use of their name, image, likeness, voice, and other defining personal attributes. These protections have become increasingly vital in the era of deepfakes, AI-generated content, impersonation scams, and unlicensed celebrity-themed merchandise.
The Delhi High Court has emerged as a key forum for cases involving personality rights, with several celebrities recently securing interim protection. Actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Ajay Devgn, Telugu actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, filmmaker Karan Johar, singer Kumar Sanu, 'Art of Living' founder Ravi Shankar, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary and podcaster Raj Shamani have also approached the court seeking protection of their personality and publicity rights, and the court granted them interim relief. Telugu actor NTR Rao Junior has also approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality rights.
The court's approach has extended beyond traditional misuse, taking note of AI-generated impersonations, deepfakes, and other forms of manipulated digital content that can rapidly distort a person's image and reputation. Judges have cautioned that such impersonations violate privacy, dignity, and publicity rights. At the same time, the court has clarified that legitimate artistic expression, satire, news reporting, and commentary must remain protected within constitutional boundaries.
