Delhi HC Restrains Unauthorised Use Of Yuvraj Singh’s Name, Image And Identity
Court safeguards Yuvraj Singh’s identity against unauthorised commercial exploitation.
The Delhi High Court has granted interim protection to the personality rights of former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh, restraining the unauthorised use of his name, image, voice, likeness and other identifying attributes for commercial or personal gain. The order also covers the sale of merchandise and the creation or circulation of AI-generated and deepfake content featuring the cricketer.
Justice Jyoti Singh, in an interim order passed on July 29, observed that Yuvraj is among India's most accomplished and globally recognised cricketers, having represented the country across all formats for 17 years. The court said any violation of his personality and privacy rights should be dealt with strictly and protected the use of the names "Yuvraj Singh" and "Yuvi", along with his image, voice and other personality attributes.
In his plea, Yuvraj alleged that unauthorised merchandise bearing his identity was being sold by third parties. He also claimed that several social media accounts had been publishing AI-generated images and videos portraying him in fabricated and fictional situations, which he argued were damaging his reputation and goodwill.
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According to the petition, the objectionable material included religiously insensitive content, manipulated videos depicting violent behaviour towards fellow cricketers and posts containing abusive or vulgar language. The court directed Meta Platforms and other online platforms to remove the identified content, observing that Yuvraj has exclusive rights over the commercial use of his personality attributes and is entitled to protection against their unauthorised exploitation.
The High Court further noted that the AI-generated posts and deepfake videos had the potential to tarnish the goodwill and reputation Yuvraj built through his cricketing career and social contributions. The court said such misuse could adversely affect his public image and therefore warranted immediate interim relief.
Yuvraj joins a growing list of public figures who have approached the Delhi High Court to safeguard their personality and publicity rights in the digital era. Similar interim protections have previously been granted to personalities including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Salman Khan, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Sudhir Chaudhary, Raj Shamani, Pawan Kalyan and Abhishek Sharma.
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