• Source:JND
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Karan Johar Personality Rights Case: Filmmaker Karan Johar has approached the Delhi High Court seeking legal protection for his personality rights. His move comes soon after actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan filed similar petitions, highlighting a growing concern among celebrities about the misuse of their names and images. The matter highlights how Indian courts are increasingly being asked to deal with issues surrounding personality rights and the unauthorised commercial exploitation of celebrity identities.

According to reports, Johar filed the petition after discovering that his name and photographs were allegedly being used for fundraising activities without his permission. Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao appeared in court on Johar’s behalf and argued that such unauthorised activities carry both reputational and financial risks for the filmmaker. “These are websites where my photos have been downloaded. Various pages on social media platforms are using my name,” Johar pointed out in his plea. His legal team stressed that such misuse not only damages his reputation but also allows others to profit from his identity.

 
 
 
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Meanwhile, the matter was heard before Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora of the Delhi High Court. During the hearing, Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp responded to Johar’s claims. Advocate Varun Pathak, representing Meta, argued that not all comments or posts concerning Johar should be treated as defamatory. He further warned that granting a blanket injunction could encourage excessive litigation. “Ordinary people are making jokes or comments. Dragging them to court for such discussions is unnecessary,” Pathak said.

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Additionally, Justice Arora agreed in part, observing that not every fan page or meme should be taken down. The judge explained that there is a difference between disparagement and light-hearted memes, and that the court cannot order the removal of every single page related to a celebrity. “Mr Rao, you have to identify specific cases — whether it’s disparagement, the sale of merchandise, or misuse of a domain name. The Court will then consider action. It cannot be an open-ended injunction,” Justice Arora noted. 

ALSO READ: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Gets Personality Rights Protection, Delhi HC Says ‘Unauthorised Exploitation Of Individual Leads To Violation Of Privacy’

In response, Johar’s counsel argued that the filmmaker should be allowed to decide if he wants only one official fan page and prevent others from using his identity. The Court has not yet passed a final order but indicated that it may issue takedown notices for specific pages that clearly misuse Johar’s name or image. Justice Arora also added that if new pages or accounts appear in the future, Johar can bring them to the notice of the social media platforms for further action. The case will be heard again later today at 4 pm, where the court may give its final ruling.