Superstar Salman Khan has achieved a significant victory in his ongoing legal battle to protect his personal identity from unauthorized commercial exploitation. The Delhi High Court, during a hearing today, December 11, 2025, issued a crucial directive, instructing several social media platforms and online intermediaries to act within three days on the actor’s formal complaints alleging the misuse of his personality attributes.
Salman Khan had moved the High Court seeking to safeguard his personality and publicity rights, asserting that numerous social media accounts, e-commerce platforms, and digital entities were improperly using his name, images, voice, signature dance moves, and other attributes for commercial gain, thereby misleading customers and diminishing his brand value. The order, passed by Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, signals the judiciary’s increasing focus on protecting celebrity persona in the digital and AI age.
Salman Khan’s petition argues that his identity—which includes his name, voice, physical appearance, and unique characteristics like his signature dialogues and screen presence—is a registered trademark and holds immense commercial value. The unauthorized use of these attributes, the plea contends, not only violates his exclusive rights but also exposes consumers to deception, especially with the rise of deepfakes and fraudulent digital content.
Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for Salman Khan, highlighted specific instances of misuse to the court, including:
- Unauthorized Merchandise: E-commerce platforms selling t-shirts, accessories, and other commercial products bearing Khan’s likeness without consent.
- Digital and AI Exploitation: AI chatbots and applications improperly using the actor’s name and persona for commercial purposes.
- Fake Endorsements: The circulation of photoshopped images and misleading content suggesting the actor endorsed products he had no association with.
Justice Arora directed the intermediaries, named as defendants in the suit, to treat Khan’s legal petition as a formal complaint under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and take immediate remedial steps.
The immediate three-day deadline imposed by the Delhi High Court underscores the urgency of the matter and the judicial intention to curb the rampant, swift nature of digital exploitation.
The Court further stated that it will pass a separate, detailed interim restraining order against those entities that are not social media intermediaries but are selling unauthorized commercial merchandise using the actor’s image and likeness. This two-pronged approach ensures both online platforms and direct sellers of infringing goods are addressed effectively.
“Action is to be taken in three days. I will pass stay orders on defendants on commercial merchandise,” Justice Arora stated during the hearing.
The court’s directive also served as a reminder of its recent rulings, where similar petitions from public figures were directed to first approach the social media platforms themselves before seeking judicial intervention, thereby streamlining the process for celebrity rights protection.
Salman Khan’s successful petition adds him to a growing list of high-profile personalities who have recently approached the Delhi High Court and secured similar interim relief to safeguard their personality rights. This wave of lawsuits confirms that the Indian judiciary, particularly the Delhi High Court, is emerging as a pivotal forum in shaping jurisprudence around digital personality rights.
Other prominent figures who have recently secured protection include:
- Amitabh Bachchan and his family members, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan.
- Ajay Devgn, who was granted relief against deepfakes and misuse of his persona.
- Hrithik Roshan and Anil Kapoor.
- Telugu actors Nagarjuna and NTR Jr. (who also secured a three-day action directive just days before Khan).
The increasing frequency of these cases reflects a critical juncture where technological advances like Generative AI and deepfakes have made the replication and exploitation of celebrity identity alarmingly easy, forcing public figures to proactively seek legal safeguards against commercial and reputational harm.
