The Delhi High Court has said it will issue an order to safeguard the personality rights of Telugu actor Akkineni Nagarjuna after he raised serious concerns about unauthorized use of his image. Justice Tejas Karia, hearing the matter, noted that once the specific URLs are provided, intermediaries can be directed to take down the content.
During the hearing, it was observed that Nagarjuna had already identified 14 URLs but claimed there were more, though not as offensive. The Court questioned how long perpetual injunctions in such cases should continue, yet decided to pass an order to protect the actor’s rights.
Nagarjuna’s plea asked the court to restrain misuse of his likeness in digital content and merchandise. His legal team pointed out misuse in pornographic content, AI-generated or morphed images, YouTube shorts, and paid promotional items using tags with his name. They also warned that such morphed content could be used to train AI systems, spreading false or illegal material. The court recognised these risks and committed to issue a protective order.
The Delhi High Court has passed similar injunctions for many public personalities—actors, filmmakers, and others—to prevent unauthorized use of their image, voice or likeness, including in contexts such as pornographic material.
Nagarjuna’s lawyers highlighted his extensive career—95 films, national honors and his large social media following, to emphasise the magnitude of unauthorized misuse and the need for stronger legal protection going forward.