Delhi HC Protects Rajat Sharma’s Personality Rights, Restrains AI Deepfakes [Read Order]

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has decreed a suit filed by veteran journalist Rajat Sharma and India TV in their favour, granting a permanent injunction against several defendants for creating and circulating AI-generated deepfake videos misusing his personality attributes and infringing the registered INDIA TV trademarks, while also laying down a mechanism for Plaintiffs to seek expeditious takedown of any further infringing content discovered on Meta and Google platforms.

Justice Jyoti Singh was hearing a suit filed by Rajat Sharma and India TV seeking a decree of permanent injunction restraining infringement of Plaintiff No.1's personality and publicity rights, infringement of Plaintiff No.2's registered trademarks, misappropriation of goodwill, unfair trade practices, and infringement of copyright in cinematographic films along with associated broadcasting and moral rights, together with other ancillary reliefs. 

By an ex parte ad interim order dated 18.12.2024, the Court had earlier restrained Defendants No.1 to 8 and 12 from infringing the Plaintiffs' rights, and had directed Defendant No.9/Meta Platforms Inc. to take down impugned content and disclose details of the concerned accounts, while Defendant No.10/DoT and Defendant No.11/MeitY were directed to issue notifications to TSPs and ISPs to block infringing websites, numbers, and social media accounts.

During the pendency of the suit, some more defendants were impleaded, some of which were YouTube channels circulating deepfake videos unauthorizedly using Plaintiff No.1's personality attributes, and Defendant No.17/Google LLC was, by order dated 07.11.2025, directed to take down the YouTube channels of Defendants No.14 to 16 and disclose associated BSI and IP log details. The Court had recorded Google's statement that the accounts of Defendants No.13 and 15 had already been terminated upon review, while those of Defendants No.14 and 16 remained under review. Defendant No.9/Meta Platforms Inc. was earlier deleted from the array of parties on 22.09.2025 upon its undertaking to act on further information regarding mirror URLs identical to those forming the subject matter of the suit.

Aggrieved by the perpetuating gross misinformation through wrongful use of AI technology to create doctored videos bearing distorted and modulated images, voice, and other personality traits of Plaintiff No.1, along with unauthorized use of the registered INDIA TV trademarks and copyright violation, the Plaintiffs had instituted the present suit.

Counsel for the Plaintiffs submitted that the suit could be disposed of by a decree of permanent injunction against Defendants No.1 to 3, 5 to 8, 14 and 16, and that the Plaintiffs were willing to give up certain reliefs claimed against Defendants No.10 and 11 as well as the relief seeking a declaration of the INDIA TV trademarks as "well-known" under Section 2(1)(zg) of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, while reserving liberty to seek such a declaration in a subsequent suit. The Court noted that Defendants No.1 to 3, 5 to 8, 14 and 16, though served, had not filed written statements, and their right to do so had been closed by the Joint Registrar on 15.07.2026, while Defendant No.12 remained a John Doe defendant.

In light of these submissions, the Court decreed the suit in favour of the Plaintiffs and against Defendants No.1 to 3, 5 to 8, 14 and 16 in terms of the reliefs sought in the plaint, directed the Registry to draw up a decree sheet, and granted the Plaintiffs liberty to seek a declaration of the INDIA TV trademarks as well-known in a subsequent suit. 

The Court further permitted the Plaintiffs to approach Defendant No.9/Meta Platforms Inc. and Defendant No.17/Google LLC directly, with supporting particulars on affidavit, regarding any further discovered URLs or content misusing Plaintiff No.1's persona or infringing his rights, directing the concerned defendants to acknowledge such requests within 24 hours and act within 36 hours thereafter, failing which the Plaintiffs would be at liberty to approach the Court for appropriate directions. The suit was accordingly disposed of along with the pending applications.

Appearances:

For the Plaintiffs: Mr. Sidharth Chopra, Ms. Disha Sharma, Ms. Snehima Jauhari and Ms. Deepika Pokharia, Advocates.

For Defendants No.10/DoT and No.11/MeitY: Mr. Nishant Gautam, CGSC, with Mr. Manish Rawat, GP, Ms. Srishti Singh, Mr. Mohit Bokoliya and Mr. Abhishek Mohanpuria, Advocates.

For Defendant No.17: Mr. Aditya Gupta, Ms. Vani Kaushik and Mr. Rohith Venkatesan, Advocates.

Case Title: Rajat Sharma & Anr. v. Tamara Doc & Ors., CS(COMM) 1147/2024 & I.As. 48740/2024, 27483/2025

[Read Order]