Kumar Sanu Moves Delhi High Court to Protect Personality and Publicity Rights
The plea claims the defendants violated the singer’s rights by exploiting his name, voice, likeness, and persona.
By Orlin Milinov
New Delhi:
Legendary playback singer Kumar Sanu has approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights, including his name, voice, vocal style, technique, and likeness. The plea argues that unauthorized use of his persona and AI-generated reproductions of his voice are causing reputational harm and commercial exploitation without consent.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora is expected to hear the matter on Monday.
🎤 Protecting Identity and Creativity
Filed through advocates Shikha Sachdeva and Sana Raees Khan, Sanu’s plea seeks legal safeguards over multiple aspects of his identity — including his images, caricatures, mannerisms, and signature — against misuse or imitation.
The petition emphasizes that unauthorized use of his likeness, especially through artificial intelligence (AI), has led to the creation of fake voice clones, manipulated videos, and merchandise that falsely imply his endorsement.
“Such acts are deceptive, exploitative, and likely to cause confusion among the public,” the plea states, adding that they amount to false endorsements and commercial misrepresentation.
⚖️ Alleged Violation of Moral and Copyright Rights
According to the petition, Sanu’s moral rights—granted under the Copyright Act—have been infringed by digital platforms circulating altered content using his voice and performances.
The suit notes that some GIFs, videos, and AI-generated clips have subjected the singer to “unsavoury humour” and ridicule, thereby harming his reputation.
“Such content generates revenue for the defendants as they are uploaded on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, which earn income based on views and engagement,” the plea adds.
🌐 Growing Trend of Celebrities Seeking Legal Safeguards
Kumar Sanu joins a growing list of public figures turning to the judiciary to protect their identity from misuse.
Recently, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, filmmaker Karan Johar, Telugu actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and journalist Sudhir Chaudhary also approached the Delhi High Court seeking similar protection — and were granted interim relief.
Legal experts note that the right to publicity, also known as personality rights, allows individuals to control, protect, and profit from the use of their image, name, or likeness. With the rapid growth of AI-generated content, this area of law is gaining unprecedented importance.
🧠 The Broader Context
As artificial intelligence becomes more accessible, artists and public figures are increasingly at risk of having their voices and faces digitally replicated without permission. Legal observers say that Sanu’s case could help define boundaries for AI ethics and digital impersonation in India’s entertainment industry.
✅ The Road Ahead
Sanu’s plea seeks an injunction restraining third parties from creating, distributing, or monetizing any AI-generated or manipulated content using his persona. The case is expected to set a key precedent in the ongoing debate over AI-generated celebrity likenesses and digital personality theft.
