Amitabh Bachchan's voice, image, characteristics, can't be used without his consent: Delhi HC

Bollywood legend and veteran Actor Amitabh Bachchan filed a suit in Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality rights image voice or any of his characteristics without his consent following which the court passed an interim exparte injunction in his favourEminent lawyer Harish Salve along with Ameet Naik and Pravin Anand instructed by Anand and Naik appeared for Bachchan in the High Court The matter was heard before Justice Navin ChawlaSalve submitted that there is a complete misuse of Amitabh Bachchans name image voice or any of his characteristics without his consentThe misuse of his name image and voice especially by the mobile application developers and people conducting lottery by illegally associating with KBC book publishers Tshirt vendors and various other businesses has prompted Mr Amitabh Bachchan to approach the High Court seeking a restraining order against the use of his personality traits Salve saidAlso Read Amitabh Bachchan mourns death of his pet dog shares emotional noteThe lawyer for Amitabh Bachchan also brought to the notice of the Delhi High Court that alleged infringers have illegally registered Bachchans name as webdomain names such as wwwamitabhbachchancom and wwwamitabhbachchaninDelhi High Courts Justice Navin Chawla noted that the plaintiffAmitabh Bachchan alleges a violation of his publicity right as a celebrityThe court further noted that it could not seriously be disputed that the plaintiff is a very wellknown personality and is aggrieved by the usage of his name image voice etc without his consentI am of the opinion that the plaintiff has been able to make out prima facie case in his favour The defendants appear to be using celebrity status without his authorization permission and consent the HC judge saidJustice Navin Chawla in his interim order passed an interim exparte injunction in favour of the Plaintiff Amitabh Bachchan and against the defendantsThe plea stated that there is an infringement of the Plaintiffs personality through various manners like digital means instant messaging apps physical means etcThe digital means include several websites and mobile apps that have been found misappropriating the plaintiffs photographs andor other characteristics to create popularity amongst the public and to entice members of the public to download such mobile appsThe instant messaging apps include several unscrupulous parties that have been found using Bachchans photograph along with his name and the representation of a TV Show Kaun Banega Crorepati which is associated with Bachchan to scam the public into believing that Kaun Banega Crorepati is offering lottery prizes to the members of the publicThe physical means include the cases where dishonest traders physically affix the actors images and posters on their places of business on billboards or even on products that they engage in the manufacture and sale of with the aim to unlawfully show a nexusaffiliationsponsorshipassociation with the plaintiff so as to boost their illegal profitsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever