The Delhi High Court has granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction restraining the defendants from creating, publishing, or disseminating an AI-generated deepfake film and related content that allegedly misappropriated the name, image, likeness, voice, and persona of the plaintiff, Akira Desai alias Akira Nandan, without consent. The Court held that the material on record disclosed a strong prima facie case of violation of personality rights, right to privacy, and publicity rights, warranting urgent protection.
The suit was instituted after the plaintiff discovered that Defendant No.1 had released a one-hour AI-generated film titled “AI LOVE STORY”, projected as the “world’s first global AI movie,” portraying the plaintiff in a lead role through synthetic avatars and morphed visuals. The plaintiff alleged widespread circulation of fabricated romantic and intimate scenes, impersonation accounts, and monetised content across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X, creating false impressions of endorsement and causing irreparable harm to reputation, dignity, and goodwill.
While considering the injunction application, Justice Tushar Rao Gedela examined the pleadings and evidence, including extensive URLs and extracts of infringing material. Relying on the settled principles in DM Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. v. Baby Gift House, CS OS 893/2002, and a recent coordinate-bench order in Ranganathan Madhavan v. G Filmz Studioz CS COMM 1392/2025, the Court reiterated that unauthorised commercial exploitation of an individual’s persona, especially through advanced technologies like AI and deepfakes, attracts injunctive relief. The Court observed that such misuse poses grave risks, including deception of the public and unlawful financial gain.
The Court held that the balance of convenience lay in favour of the plaintiff and that the injury caused by continued circulation of the impugned content would be irreparable, incapable of being compensated monetarily. Accordingly, it restrained the defendants (including John Doe defendants) from using or exploiting any facets of the plaintiff’s personality and directed immediate takedown of identified links. Digital intermediaries were also directed to act upon takedown requests and share relevant account details.
The matter has been listed for further proceedings, with the observations being prima facie in nature.
Appearances:
For the Plaintiff – Senior Advocate J. Sai Deepak, with Advocate Himanshu Deora, Rahul Mehta, Arpit Choudhary, Kunal Mehta, Anupriya Alok, and Sanat Saswadkar
For the Defendants – Advocate Aditya Gupta with Vani Kaushik, Varun Pathak, Yash Karunakaran, and Prasidhi Agrawal.
