Kriti Sanon Seeks Personality Rights Protection in Court
Kriti Sanon has moved the Delhi High Court for personality rights protection. What the plea seeks, how outlets report it and what the court has said.
Actor Kriti Sanon has asked the Delhi High Court to protect her personality rights, and the court has asked her lawyer for a broad compilation of judgments before it decides. The Indian Express, citing ANI, reported the Oct. 16 hearing. The case is next listed for Oct. 29, and no order has been reported.
What happened in court
According to the Indian Express, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav asked advocate Pravin Anand, who appeared for Sanon, to prepare a comprehensive compilation of judgments and research material on personality rights. The judge wanted it to cover the extent of protection available and whether the court's Intellectual Property Division can hear such disputes. He observed that such matters come before the court often, and that the legal issues needed wider examination than the facts of this case.
The judge told counsel, in the paper's quotation, "Can you give me some research paper? Please give a compilation. Give me judgments and your understanding regarding personality rights." He added that he would consider passing a comprehensive order after examining the material.
What her lawyer argued
Anand told the court that personality rights could extend to a person's name, voice, face, image, photographs and videos. He pointed to commercial use of someone's identity without consent as an issue. He said the compilation would be filed during the day and that no jurisdictional issue arose in Sanon's case. The matter is listed for further hearing on Oct. 29.
The reports we found do not describe the specific use of Sanon's identity that prompted the filing. The Indian Express says only that such cases commonly involve unauthorised use of names, photographs, likenesses and voices, particularly for commercial purposes.
A busy area of law
The Indian Express notes that the court has dealt with personality rights claims by several public figures, including actors Kangana Ranaut, Tabu and Vijay Deverakonda, cricketers Abhishek Sharma and Yuvraj Singh, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. It says the growing use of digital platforms and artificial intelligence has complicated matters, including cases of deepfakes and impersonation, and that courts must weigh these protections against freedom of expression, news reporting and artistic creativity.
How to read it
The hearing was about how the court should approach the issue, not about a final ruling on Sanon's claim. The judge's request for research suggests he may issue a broader order, but he has not said so. Readers should wait for the Oct. 29 hearing before drawing conclusions.
What we could not confirm
We could not confirm what specific content or products prompted Sanon's petition, because the coverage we read does not say. We could not confirm whether any interim order has been issued, since none is reported. We did not see the court record. We relied on the Indian Express, which carried an ANI report, and we saw other outlets only as headlines. Sanon has not been quoted on the matter. We also could not confirm the outcome of the compilation filing that Anand said would be made during the day.
Sources
*Cover photo: Verghese TK, Wikimedia Commons, *[*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kriti_Sanon_at_Adipurush_pre_release_event_%282%29.jpg*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kriti_Sanon_at_Adipurush_pre_release_event_%282%29.jpg)* (CC BY-SA 4.0).*