Delhi HC protects Ajay Devgn's personality rights, orders takedown of objectionable contents
New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Thursday protected the personality rights of Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn by restraining several websites and online platforms from illegally using his name or images for commercial gain without his consent.
The high court also restrained several defendants from using the personality traits of Ajay alias Vishal Veeru Devgan through the use of artificial intelligence and deepfake technology, and ordered the taking down of certain obscene content uploaded on the Internet.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora said she will pass a detailed interim order in the matter.
Advocate Pravin Anand, representing the actor, said the defendants were indulging in the production of commercial merchandise, including caps, stickers and posters, impersonating Devgn and images showing him with other celebrities in an unpleasant manner.
During the hearing, the court asked the plaintiff's counsel whether they had lodged a protest with defendants YouTube and Google regarding the unpleasant content against the actor on YouTube.
As the counsel replied in the negative, the judge said she will make an observation in the order that henceforth, all the plaintiffs will first lodge a protest with the social media intermediaries before approaching the court.
The court also said that it will order the taking down of obscene and profane content but images which were mere reproductions cannot be ordered to be removed at this stage without hearing the parties concerned.
The court also issued summonses to several defendants in the suit.
It was hearing a plea by Devgn seeking to protect his personality rights and restrain online platforms from illegally using his name, images and AI-generated inappropriate and sexually explicit content.
The suit relates to misappropriation, without consent, of various aspects of Devgn's personality, including his name, image, likeness, persona and voice by the defendants for their commercial gains.
The right to publicity, popularly known as personality rights, is the right to protect, control and profit from one's image, name or likeness.
Recently, Bollywood actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, her husband Abhishek Bachchan, his mother Jaya Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, filmmaker Karan Johar, singer Kumar Sanu, Telugu actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, 'Art of Living' founder Ravi Shankar, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary and podcaster Raj Shamani also approached the high court seeking protection of their personality and publicity rights. The court granted them interim relief.
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Have sanctioned 1,000 buses for next fiscal, says K'taka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Wednesday said the government has sanctioned procurement of 1,000 government buses in the next year’s budget.
According to him, in the current fiscal, 2,000 buses were sanctioned and many of them have already arrived.
Speaking in the Legislative Council, he alleged that the previous BJP government neither bought a single bus nor recruitment was done in the state transport department.
He was replying to BJP MLC Y M Satish’s request for buses for Ballari and Vijayanagara districts.
“From 2019 to 2023, not a single bus was purchased in the four corporations. Not even one bus. If buses are not purchased continuously for four years, what will happen to the organisation?” Reddy asked.
He recalled that the last time buses were procured and recruitments took place were in 2016, when he was the transport minister during the previous Congress government from 2013 to 2018.
“After we came to power (from 2013), we procured 6,080 new buses. Then last year, 2,000 buses were provided, and many of them have already arrived. This year too, 1,000 buses have been sanctioned in the budget,” Reddy told the House.
He noted that 9,000 people were recruited and 1,300 people were appointed on compassionate grounds during the Congress tenure.
The Minister added that around 2,000 to 2,500 buses have been refurbished.
“In total, 6,080 buses came in two years. Last year’s 2,000 buses, and now 1,000 more. Altogether, we have about 26,000 buses. Out of these, nearly one-third have been added in the last two-and-a-half years,” Reddy said.
Satish told the Minister that at least 100 red buses and about 20 Volvo buses are required for Ballari and Vijayanagara districts.
In response, Reddy said in 2022-23, 720 buses were given, and in 2024–25, 307 buses; in 2026, 140 buses—totalling 1,173 new buses were given to Kalyana Karnataka region.
There are around 4,000-odd buses in Kalyana Karnataka region, he said adding that another 400 buses have been tendered and funds have to be released.
“Additionally, 56 high-end buses—sleeper AC, non-sleeper AC, and Volvo buses—are also coming. Now, 400 buses are coming. Priority will be given to Ballari and Vijayanagara districts,” Reddy said.
