Bollywood star Salman Khan has moved the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his publicity and personality rights amid rising concerns over the unauthorised use of celebrity identities on digital platforms.
The petition was heard on Thursday, during which the Delhi High Court directed social media companies and online platforms to submit their responses within three days. Salman Khan has asked the court to restrain both named and unnamed individuals from using his name, image, voice, likeness, dialogues, mannerisms, and other personal attributes without his consent.
In his plea, the actor stated that several platforms and entities were allegedly exploiting his identity without permission, which could mislead the public and damage his reputation and brand value. He argued that such unauthorised use poses a serious threat to his commercial interests and could result in irreparable harm to his personality rights.
Salman Khan’s legal action reflects a growing trend among celebrities who are increasingly concerned about the misuse of their identities in the digital space, particularly on social media and online commercial platforms.
Several other prominent film personalities have previously approached courts for similar relief, including Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Nagarjuna, Anil Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, and Jr NTR. These cases underline the rising importance of protecting publicity and personality rights as online content and artificial intelligence tools become more widespread.
The court’s direction to social media companies to respond within three days signals that further legal orders may follow. Legal observers expect the court to consider issuing interim restraining directions to prevent further unauthorised use of the actor’s identity while the case proceeds.
