The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted urgent protection to actor and entrepreneur Vivek Anand Oberoi, restraining multiple online sellers, social media users, and unknown entities from using artificial intelligence tools to exploit his identity.
Justice Tushar Rao Gedela passed a sweeping ex-parte interim injunction after finding prima facie misuse of Oberoi’s name, image, voice, and likeness across e-commerce platforms, social media, and AI-generated videos.
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Background of the Case
The suit was filed by Vivek Oberoi alleging large-scale misappropriation of his personality rights. According to the plea, several individuals and online platforms were using his photographs, name, and even AI-generated videos to falsely suggest endorsements, affiliations, or official accounts.
The actor told the court that AI tools such as deepfakes, face morphing, and voice cloning were being used to create misleading content. These were circulated widely to sell posters, merchandise, and digital content, or to push false narratives online.
Government departments, including the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications, were named only as formal parties to help enforce court directions.
What the Court Heard
During the hearing, the court was taken through screenshots, web links, and social media posts showing how Oberoi’s persona was allegedly being exploited without consent. The material included online listings for posters, postcards, videos, and AI-altered clips circulated on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and X.
The plaintiff argued that his public identity - built over two decades in cinema, business, and philanthropy - was being commercially exploited, causing serious harm to his reputation.
Court’s Observations
After examining the documents, Justice Gedela observed that Oberoi is a well-known public figure whose identity is easily recognisable to the public.
“The material on record clearly shows that the plaintiff’s name, image, voice and likeness are distinctive and exclusively associated with him,” the court noted.
The judge accepted that the alleged misuse was not merely commercial loss but also risked long-term damage to personal reputation, something money alone could not repair.
Why Urgent Relief Was Granted
The court held that all three legal requirements for an interim injunction were met:
- Prima facie case: The misuse appeared real and ongoing.
- Balance of convenience: Strongly in favour of the plaintiff.
- Irreparable harm: Damage to reputation could not be undone later.
Justice Gedela remarked that failure to act immediately would allow “unscrupulous infringers” to continue exploiting the actor’s identity using new technology.
The Decision
Allowing the application, the High Court issued a broad interim injunction with immediate effect.
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The court restrained all defendants - including unknown “John Doe” parties - from using Vivek Oberoi’s name, image, voice, likeness, or any aspect of his persona for any purpose, commercial or otherwise, through AI tools or any other technology.
Online platforms and intermediaries were directed to take down the listed infringing links within 72 hours and share technical details, including IP and login information, with the plaintiff.
The court also permitted Oberoi to approach the court again if new infringing content surfaced during the course of the suit.
Case Title: Vivek Anand Oberoi v. Collector Bazar & Ors.
Case No.: CS (COMM) 105/2026
Decision Date: 05 February 2026
