Chiranjeevi secures legal shield: Hyderabad Court grants Megastar interim protection from unauthorized use of name, image, and AI likeness

The Hyderabad City Civil Court has passed an ad-interim injunction safeguarding veteran Tollywood Megastar Chiranjeevi from the unauthorized use of his name, image, voice, or likeness across digital platforms, including potential AI-generated and Metaverse formats. The order was delivered by Chief Judge S Sasidhar Reddy on September 26, Bar and Bench reported.

Legal action against unauthorized use

As per a report by Storyborad18, this was done after a plea was filed by Chiranjeevi against over 30 online entities, including e-commerce stores, YouTube channels, and digital media platforms. The actor alleged that these entities were exploiting his persona for commercial and personal gain without his consent.

Recognition of Chiranjeevi's persona

The 'Vishwambhara' star is one of the most prominent figures in Telugu and South Indian cinema. The court noted that his titles, "Mega Star, Chiru, Annayya, Boss," and "Mega Star Chiru", along with his voice and image, are integral to his personality and carry significant commercial and reputational value.

Risk of public misperception

The court also acknowledged the risk of public misperception, that such usage could lead audiences to believe Chiranjeevi endorsed the products or ideas depicted. The order stated, "The images appear to have been created by morphing the plaintiff’s face and used for commercial purposes or propagating political, anti-national, or salacious content. The potential damage is irreparable."

The injunction restrains defendants 1 to 33 and 36 from exploiting Chiranjeevi’s identity in any medium, whether physical, electronic, or on future digital platforms, including AI-based media and the Metaverse. Importantly, the court granted interim relief without prior notice to most defendants, citing the rapid spread of digital content.

However, the court denied interim relief against the Ministry of Electronics and IT and the Department of Telecommunications due to mandatory notice requirements under Section 80 of the Civil Procedure Code.

The case is scheduled for the next hearing on October 27, and Chiranjeevi's legal team is expected to seek permanent protection for the actor's personality rights across all digital and physical mediums.

Chiranjeevi's upcoming projects

On the work front, he will be next seen in 'Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu' alongside Nayanthara. He is also working on the socio-fantasy film 'Vishwambhara' and will further work with director Srikanth Odela.

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