Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has moved the Delhi High Court seeking legal protection for his personality and publicity rights, arguing that his name, image, voice and persona are being used commercially without his consent. He filed the petition after noticing widespread misuse of his identity across social media platforms, websites and e-commerce portals, and claimed that unauthorized content not only violates his rights but also misleads the public and allows third parties to profit from his fame.
The matter was heard on Thursday, December 11, 2025, before Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, who directed several intermediaries on digital platforms to act on Khan’s complaint within three days under the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The court also said it would soon issue a detailed interim order addressing misuse by other defendants and possibly restraining those selling unauthorised merchandise featuring the actor’s likeness.
Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Khan, pointed out that some AI chatbots, certain online marketplaces and fan accounts circulating altered images were among the sources of infringement. The bench noted that it may pass stay orders against entities misusing the actor’s name, voice and other personal traits without permission.
Salman’s plea aligns with a growing trend in India where high-profile personalities are approaching the courts to curb misuse of their identity rights. Recently, prominent figures including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Ajay Devgn, Karan Johar, Kumar Sanu, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Sudhir Chaudhary and Raj Shamani have also sought similar protections, with some receiving interim relief from the High Court.
The right to publicity – commonly known as personality rights – allows individuals to control and benefit from the commercial use of their identity, including name, image and voice.
Image Source- Google