Khushi Kapoor has secured a Delhi High Court order directing social media platforms to remove allegedly obscene and pornographic content involving her. The court has further directed the takedown of material tied to the unauthorised sale of merchandise that makes use of her name and personality attributes.
Justice Jyoti Singh issues directions on Khushi Kapoor’s plea
According to Free Press Journal, Justice Jyoti Singh issued these directions on Wednesday while hearing Khushi’s suit that sought protection of her personality and publicity rights. The court also signalled its intent to pass a John Doe order in her favour as part of the interim protection she had sought.
What a John Doe order means for Khushi Kapoor
A John Doe order gives a court the ability to protect an individual from unidentified persons who might be misusing or exploiting their identity. In Khushi’s case, this safeguard applies to the alleged misuse of her identity through online content as well as merchandise.
Khushi Kapoor’s legal representation in the case
Khushi’s legal representation in the matter was handled by India Law, through partners Asav Rajan and Abha Shah. The court’s directions extend to both allegedly obscene and pornographic content circulating on social media, as well as merchandise that allegedly makes unauthorised use of her personality attributes.
Order comes a day after similar directions for Janhvi Kapoor
This order arrives just a day after the Delhi High Court passed similar directions in a case concerning Khushi’s sister, actor Janhvi Kapoor. A coordinate bench had directed the removal of allegedly objectionable content linked to Janhvi and called for action against the unauthorised exploitation of her personality rights. The two cases involving the sisters form part of a wider set of proceedings addressing the misuse of celebrity identities online.
Rise in celebrity personality rights cases at Delhi HC
The Delhi High Court has increasingly dealt with cases involving the unauthorised use of celebrities’ names, photographs, voices, likenesses and other identifiable personality traits, ranging from merchandise built around a celebrity’s identity to misleading digital content and AI-generated material. With digital platforms making it easier than ever to reproduce and manipulate images and personal attributes, courts have had to take up more questions on how public figures can protect their identities.
Understanding personality rights and Khushi Kapoor’s protection
Personality rights allow a celebrity’s name, image, voice and likeness to be legally protected, giving them recourse to take action if these are used without consent in ways that harm their reputation, privacy or commercial interests. In Khushi’s case, the court’s latest order shields her from the alleged misuse of her identity across social media and merchandise, while the proposed John Doe order could extend this protection to unidentified individuals found using her identity without authorisation.
