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Karan Johar approaches Delhi HC to protect his personality rights
During the hearing, Johar's counsel alleged that various websites and social media pages were misusing the filmmaker's name and images to raise funds.
The Court indicated it may pass take-down orders for specific pages, advising Johar to notify platforms of similar violations in the future. (Image source: GQ India)
Filmmaker and television personality Karan Johar has approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality rights, according to media reports, following similar actions by Bollywood stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan.
During the hearing, Johar's counsel alleged that various websites and social media pages were misusing the filmmaker's name and images to raise funds. "These are websites where my photos are downloaded. Various pages on various platforms are in my name," he said.
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, submitted that many comments flagged in the suit were not defamatory. Advocate for Meta argued against a blanket injunction, stating, "These are ordinary people having comments and discussions. Now to drag them to Court for making an ordinary joke” could open the floodgates for litigation.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora observed that not every fan page could be ordered to be blocked or removed. "You have to look at two things, one is disparagement, which is different from memes. Memes are not necessarily disparaging. Then somebody is selling merchandise. Third is your domain name. Please specifically identify it, the Court will consider it," he reportedly said.
The Court indicated it may pass take-down orders for specific pages, advising Johar to notify platforms of similar violations in the future. "If they don't, you come to court," Justice Arora added. The matter is scheduled for further hearing at 4 pm today.
Also Read: Abhishek Bachchan moves Delhi HC to protect personality rights amid AI deepfake, misuse of image
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