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Delhi High Court Bars Commercial Use of Varun Dhawan’s Likeness and Covers Deepfakes

The interim order tightens judicial control over AI‑enabled misuse by ordering swift takedowns within 36 hours and requiring platforms to hand over basic subscriber information.

Overview

  • The court granted an ex parte ad interim injunction in favour of actor Varun Dhawan, with an order dated May 29 restraining defendants from unauthorised commercial use of his persona.
  • The restraint explicitly covers technologies such as artificial intelligence, generative AI, machine learning, deepfakes, AI chatbots and face‑morphing tools used to create or spread manipulated content.
  • Platforms and intermediaries were ordered to remove 168 identified URLs and to take down any newly notified infringing content within 36 hours of communication from Dhawan.
  • The order bars the sale or facilitation of unauthorised merchandise and fake booking claims and directs government defendants to act to block URLs hosting pornographic or derogatory content.
  • Major platforms named in the suit — including YouTube, Meta and X — must disclose Basic Subscriber Information for identified accounts, a step that could speed tracing of operators and sharpen enforcement of personality rights as the case proceeds to August 5 and an October 1 hearing.