The Delhi High Court has offered singer Kumar Sanu temporary protection regarding his personality rights, stopping unauthorized use of his name, image, and voice for commercial gain.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, who is overseeing the case between Kumar Sanu and Jammable Limited, stated that Sanu’s distinctive traits are legally protected. This temporary order is effective until the next hearing scheduled for March 30, 2026.
The Court emphasized that Sanu’s characteristics, including his name, voice, and likeness, deserve protection from distorted and misleading content that could harm his reputation. Similar rulings have been made for other Bollywood stars, such as Anil Kapoor and Karan Johar.
In its directives, the Court instructed Amazon and Flipkart to remove any products that violate Sanu’s rights, while also warning e-commerce sellers against unauthorized merchandise bearing his likeness. Moreover, Google and Meta were ordered to eliminate any infringing content identified in Sanu’s complaint and to provide information on anonymous accounts sharing such material.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications were also told to ban any websites or apps misusing Sanu’s identity and to act quickly on new reports.
### Allegations of AI Misuse
This decision stems from a lawsuit filed by Sanu, seeking ₹2 crore, against several online platforms and individuals accused of producing fake content using his name. He claimed that these defendants exploited his image to market products, impersonated him on social media, and created an app misusing his voice and likeness. The AI-generated sounds mimicking his voice and other unflattering representations have harmed his public image and subjected him to negative online portrayals.
Sanu’s legal representative, Advocate Sana Raees Khan, argued that these actions violated Sanu’s privacy and reputation, as well as infringing copyright laws. The suit highlighted that his stage names and titles are protected under both personality rights and trademark laws.
### Kumar Sanu’s Reaction
After the court’s ruling, Kumar Sanu took to social media to express his gratitude. He thanked his lawyer and the court for upholding the rights of artists. He acknowledged Advocate Sana Raees Khan for her strong arguments that contributed to the positive outcome of the case, saying, “I am deeply grateful to my advocate and the Hon’ble Delhi High Court for recognizing and protecting my Personality Rights.”
