The Hon’ble Delhi High Court has passed an order protecting the personality and publicity rights of acclaimed actor Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR). The Court’s intervention follows a petition filed by the actor, citing widespread unauthorised and industrial misuse of his identity across platforms. Paying attention to the difficulty, the Hon’ble High Court granted protection to his personality rights.
Jr NTR Receives Legal Protection
The protection covers the unauthorised industrial use of his name and popular identifiers including “NTR”, “Jr. NTR”, “NTR Jr.”, “Tarak”, “Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr.”, “Jr. Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao” and his sobriquets corresponding to “Man of Masses”, “Young Tiger” etc along along with his image, likeness and related attributes. The Court has directed that any such unauthorised use, if found, should be removed in accordance with applicable laws.
Importantly, the Hon’ble Court has, at a prima facie stage, expressly recognised that Mr Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) has acquired celebrity status in India, having gained immense goodwill and fame over the course of a successful profession. The Court observed that his name, image and likeness are uniquely related to him in the general public mind, entitling him to proprietary rights over his personality and associated attributes.
The Hon’ble Court further recognised that personality and publicity rights are integral to the best to life and freedom under Articles 19 and 21 of the Structure of India, and are enforceable through provisions of the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Trade Marks Act, 1999.
Jr NTR Seeks Legal Help For Identity Protection
As well as, intermediary platforms have been directed to treat the plaint as a statutory grievance under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and to act upon identified infringing links throughout the prescribed statutory timelines.
The Court has also passed directions against unidentified and anonymous entities (John Doe defendants), restraining any person, including online trolls and unknown offenders, from misappropriating or exploiting Mr NTR’s personality and publicity rights, whether through merchandise, digital content, morphed images, AI-generated content, or every other technological means for industrial gain or misuse.
This order underscores the growing importance of safeguarding individual identity and fame within the digital era and reinforces the responsibility of platforms and third parties to make sure the lawful and respectful use of public figures’ names, images, and personas. Any misuse or misrepresentation that harms or damages his fame will attract severe legal consequences and be punishable under the law.
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Varsha Tiwari is a budding content author captivated with Bollywood, popular culture, and the stories behind the highlight. She enjoys breaking down trends, celebrity moments, and film narratives into engaging, reader-friendly content. All the time curious and observant, she is currently pursuing a Master’s in Communication and Journalism. Outside of writing, she enjoys painting because storytelling doesn’t all the time need words to make an impact.