Delhi High Court bars unauthorised use of Amitabh Bachchan’s name, face and voice

A final decree of the Delhi High Court now protects actor Amitabh Bachchan’s personality rights, so that no one may use his name, picture, voice or likeness for business without his consent. The order, by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, was reported on 7 November.

The court held that a person’s right to control the commercial use of their identity is part of the “right to publicity”. It found that Mr. Bachchan’s name and photographs had been used without permission in ways that could falsely suggest he endorsed products or services.

What was being sold

Mr. Bachchan went to court in 2022 over a range of uses of his identity. They included a mobile app called Amitabh Bachchan Video Call, messages promoting a fake Kaun Banega Crorepati lottery, a general-knowledge quiz book with his photo, T-shirts, posters, and website addresses using his name.

Four defendants settled with him and accepted his rights. They agreed to delete the app, stop publishing the quiz book and selling the posters, and give up the website amitabhbachchan.in. The other defendants did not appear in court despite being served notice. The court ruled against them without a trial, finding that the facts were not in dispute.

Why it matters

The decree also covers unknown people, often called “John Does”, because fake apps, websites and messages are often run anonymously. Mr. Bachchan can return to court if new misuse appears. The interim order the court passed in November 2022 is now part of the final decree.