Bollywood’s biggest names are increasingly heading to court to protect their digital identities. Hot on the heels of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, filmmaker Karan Johar has now sought help from the Delhi High Court. He filed a petition this past Monday, asking for his “personality rights” to be protected. The court heard his case for a bit on Monday. It then set the next hearing for Wednesday, September 17, when Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora will issue suitable orders.
Karan Johar claims many websites are making money off him without permission. He says they are using his photos, voice, and even his name. He wants the court to stop them from doing this. His lawyer, Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao, showed the court some of these “controversial links” and URLs. Rao argued that people are misusing Karan’s name to raise money. He explained that these websites download Karan’s pictures. He added that many social media pages are operating under Karan’s name.
But Meta Platforms, the company behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, sees things differently. Their lawyer, Varun Pathak, told the court that many comments in Karan’s lawsuit aren’t actually harmful. Pathak said giving a wide-reaching ban could cause a flood of new lawsuits. He argued that the “objectionable comments” come from “ordinary people” just talking and joking around. He feels it’s unfair to drag them to court for a simple joke.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora sided with Meta on one big point. She stated that the court cannot simply order every fan page to be blocked or taken down. She told Karan’s lawyer, Rao, to focus on specific issues. She said there is a difference between something being harmful and just being a meme. Not all memes are harmful, she noted. She also asked him to clearly show instances where someone is selling goods using Karan’s identity, or misusing his domain name. She stressed that the court can’t give a “blanket ban” covering everything.
Karan Johar’s lawyer, Rao, fought back. He argued that Karan has the right to decide if he wants just one fan page or not. He said there’s a clear line between making a joke and making a video for profit. He believes platforms become responsible when this line is crossed. Rao pointed out that more memes often mean more viral content, which can mean more money for the creators. He insisted that Karan has the right to make sure no one uses his face, his personality, or other personal traits without his okay. He said that just because Karan has “looked the other way” before, it doesn’t give everyone a free pass now.
After listening to both sides, the court suggested a path forward. It hinted that it might order the removal of specific pages. If similar unauthorized pages pop up later, Karan could bring them to the attention of the social media platforms. If the platforms don’t act, then Karan could come back to court. Justice Arora confirmed that she will pass an order on the interim relief application on September 17.
– Photo: Instagram
– Photo: Instagram @ karanjohar
– Photo: Social Media