Earlier this month, the Delhi High Court had passed an interim order restraining various e-commerce platforms, AI chatbots, and social media platforms from misusing actor Jackie Shroff’s image, name, likeness, or even mannerisms. This was a landmark order in protecting the actor’s personality rights. Shroff has now issued a statement in the matter.
Thanking the court for the order in his statement, Jackie Shroff refers to previous similar judgements protecting the personality rights of colleagues Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor. “For a long time, celebrities had little to no recourse against the misuse of their persona. However, I am heartened by the fact that courts have progressively recognized and protected these rights, as demonstrated in landmark cases involving Mr Amitabh Bachchan and Mr Anil Kapoor. These precedents have been very encouraging and motivated me to assert my rights,” reads the statement.
The actor says that in the age of growing reliance on digital media, it is important to control such unauthorised use of celebs’ attributes, which he says dilutes their brand value. The statement adds, “In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, particularly with the advent of digital media, it is crucial to control any unauthorized use and misuse of celebrity attributes. Celebrities wield significant influence, and such abuse can mislead the public regarding a celebrity's association with certain goods or services. The misuse of celebrity personas not only dilutes our brand equity but also misguides the public at large.”
The Delhi High Court order issued an injunction against those misusing Jackie’s name, image, likeness, voice, and other personal attributes. The actor noted that “this protection extends to all forms of media, including digital platforms, and specifically prohibits the use of AI, deep fakes, GIFs, AI chatbots, and similar technologies to exploit my persona without my explicit permission.”
Calling this step ‘essential to preserving the authenticity and respect associated with my life's work’, Jackie Shroff’s statement adds that it also protects his fans from being misled by ‘unscrupulous elements of society’.
Jackie Shroff has been active in the Indian film industry for over 40 years where he has been one of the most recognisable faces. His trademark swagger and mannerisms have made him popular among masses and also entered the pop culture of the country.
The DNA app is now available for download on the Google Play Store. Please download the app and share your feedback with us.
