Delhi High Court Questions Jurisdiction but Agrees to Protect Allu Arjun’s Personality Rights

The Delhi High Court is set to pass orders in a plea filed by Telugu actor Allu Arjun seeking protection of his personality rights, raising important concerns about unauthorised digital use of celebrity identity.

The matter was heard by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela on Friday. During the hearing, the Court indicated that it would issue appropriate directions to safeguard the actor’s rights, even though initial questions were raised regarding the maintainability of the petition in Delhi.

The Bench questioned the jurisdiction, noting the geographical distance between Delhi and Arjun’s home State of Telangana. It remarked, “Why are you here? There are five States in between,” highlighting concerns over forum selection.

In response, the counsel appearing for Arjun clarified that the alleged infringement is not limited to a single region but is occurring across the country. This nationwide impact, it was argued, justified approaching the Delhi High Court.

Senior Advocate Swathi Sukumar, representing the actor, drew attention to the growing misuse of technology. She informed the Court that one of the defendants had developed an application allowing users to interact with an AI-generated likeness of Allu Arjun, raising serious concerns about unauthorised digital replication.

She further emphasised that Arjun has taken extensive steps to protect his identity legally. “I have set out all my registered trademarks. I have 26 registered trademarks. There are a few other celebrities, but not many who have so many registered trademarks,” Sukumar submitted before the Court.

On the other hand, counsel appearing for intermediaries urged the Court to refrain from passing any global injunction at this stage. It was pointed out that broader issues relating to such relief are currently under consideration before a division bench.

Justice Gedela acknowledged this submission and indicated that any order passed would take into account the ongoing adjudication before the higher bench.

This case adds to a growing trend of celebrities approaching courts to protect their personality and publicity rights in the digital age. With the rise of artificial intelligence and deepfake technologies, courts are increasingly being called upon to balance innovation with the protection of individual identity.