Delhi HC grants Vivek Oberoi protection from misuse of his identity

The Delhi High Court has granted interim protection to actor Vivek Oberoi, restraining entities from misusing his name, image, and voice. The court issued an injunction against fake accounts, AI content, and unauthorised merchandise.

The Delhi High Court has granted interim protection to actor and businessman Vivek Anand Oberoi in a commercial suit alleging widespread misuse of his personality and publicity rights through fake social media accounts, unauthorised merchandise, and AI-generated content.

The court issued notice in the matter and passed an ex parte ad-interim injunction restraining several entities and unknown persons from exploiting his name, image, voice and other identifiable attributes. The order was passed by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela in a plea, where Oberoi sought protection against what he described as large-scale misappropriation of his identity for commercial and personal gain.

Court's Observations

The court observed that, prima facie, the actor had established a strong case and that irreparable harm could be caused to his reputation and personality if immediate protection was not granted.

After examining the plaint and the documents placed on record, the court noted that Oberoi is an accomplished actor and entrepreneur with a long-standing public reputation and goodwill. It recorded that attributes such as his name, voice, image, likeness, signature and style of dialogue delivery are uniquely associated with him and deserve protection from unauthorised use.

The court held that the material placed on record indicated the existence of fake accounts, morphed videos, AI-generated content, and merchandise being circulated without authorisation, falsely suggesting association or endorsement. It further observed that the balance of convenience was in favour of the plaintiff and that the potential damage to his image could not be compensated monetarily.

Details of the Injunction

Accordingly, the court restrained defendants and unknown persons from using or exploiting Oberoi's personality traits, including through artificial intelligence, deepfakes, face-morphing, or other technologies across physical and digital platforms.

It also prohibited the creation or dissemination of products and content that could dilute or tarnish his persona.

Directions to Intermediaries

The court directed several defendants and online intermediaries to take down infringing links listed in Annexure-A within 72 hours and to provide details such as IP addresses and account information related to the offending content within three weeks.

Vivek Oberoi's Plea

In his plea, Oberoi stated that multiple parties were impersonating him by creating fake accounts and using his photographs, name and likeness to promote content and products.

The plaint also alleges that AI tools were used to morph his face onto videos and create misleading material, sometimes with false information.

The court noted that defendants included traders selling posters and merchandise, as well as online platforms hosting infringing videos and content. Government departments were made proforma parties to facilitate implementation of court directions.

Next Steps in the Case

The court issued a summons in the main suit and directed the defendants to file their written statements within 30 days of receipt. The matter has been listed before the Joint Registrar on April 27, 2026 for completion of service and pleadings, and before the court on August 5, 2026. (ANI)

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