Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has approached the Bombay High Court seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights amid a surge in unauthorised use of his identity, including AI-generated content and deepfake videos.
The plea, filed as part of a commercial intellectual property rights infringement suit, comes just days after the court granted similar interim relief to veteran singer Asha Bhosle and actor Suniel Shetty.
Court Indicates Interim Relief Likely
Justice Arif S Doctor, who heard the matter on Wednesday, remarked that such digital impersonation and exploitation not only tarnishes the image of public figures but also carries serious consequences.
The court indicated it would pass an ad-interim order in Kumar’s favour, protecting his personality rights against further misuse.
Allegations Of “Large-Scale Misuse”
Kumar’s plea alleges widespread and unauthorised use of his name, image, voice, likeness, and performance style—collectively referred to as his persona—across social media and e-commerce platforms. The actor cited instances of:
- AI-generated deepfake videos
- Fake movie trailers
- Counterfeit merchandise
- False brand endorsements
Manipulated content falsely associating him with political figures
One such manipulated trailer falsely depicted Kumar as playing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a film he had no involvement with. The video amassed nearly 2 million views before it was taken down, only after complaints were raised.
Deepfakes & Dark Web Distribution
Senior Advocate Birendra Saraf, representing Kumar, told the court that the actor has faced “serious consequences” due to the circulation of such content. Saraf highlighted that some deepfake videos are nearly indistinguishable from real footage, making them difficult to track, especially when circulated via the dark web.
Saraf also drew the court’s attention to an unauthorised website hosting an “AI Akshay Kumar V2 Voice” feature, which could generate speech mimicking Kumar’s voice upon entering text.
In addition, the plea raised concerns about fake social media accounts and unauthorised products being sold under Kumar’s name—contributing to consumer confusion and reputational damage.
Urgent Relief Sought
“The pattern of deception and impersonation creates an imminent and continuing risk of consumer confusion and fraud,” the plea states. “Each day that such content or listings remain accessible, more individuals are misled into believing that the plaintiff has endorsed or is associated with them.”
Kumar has sought interim relief and a direction to restrain social media platforms, websites, e-commerce portals, and unidentified individuals (John Does) from exploiting his persona without consent.
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