After Bollywood actors, Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff, veteran Telugu actor Mohan Babu obtained an interim order from the Delhi High Court on Friday protecting his personality and publicity rights.
The Court has restrained various social media accounts, Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots as well as e-commerce websites from misusing the actor’s name, voice, or image. Justice Mini Pushkarna, who heard the case, noted that Mohan Babu had made a prima facie case for interim relief. The Court added that irreparable damage may ensue if an order is not passed to restrain others (defendants) from misusing Babu's personality rights.
"The defendants, their associates, servants, and other related persons are restrained from creating, publishing, and communicating to the public any content that infringes the personality rights of the plaintiff,” the Court, therefore, ordered.
Further, the defendants have been directed not to use AI, the Metaverse, or any other format or medium to infringe Mohan Babu's personality rights by using his voice, image, or likeness without authorization.
The Court added that no goods can be sold using the actor’s personality rights without his authorization. Google has also been directed to take down any content that Mohan Babu has claimed to be violative of his personality rights.
Mohan Babu is a veteran Indian actor, producer, and former politician. Born on March 19, 1952, as Manchu Bhaktavatsalam Naidu, he began his career as a school teacher before entering the film industry. Mohan Babu has appeared in over 500 films and has received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Padma Shri in 2007 for his contributions to Indian cinema. Apart from acting, Mohan Babu also runs the Sree Vidyanikethan Educational Institutions in Andhra Pradesh.
