Delhi HC orders takedown of AI content over unauthorised use of Kumar Sanu's distinct voice, identity

New Delhi [India], October 18 (ANI): The Delhi High Court has directed multiple digital platforms, AI developers, and intermediaries to immediately take down all unauthorised content imitating playback singer Kumar Sanu's voice, likeness, and persona, marking a major development in the growing field of celebrity rights and artificial intelligence misuse.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, while hearing the plea filed by Sanu, issued extensive directions for the removal of infringing AI-generated material from YouTube, Instagram, and other online platforms, and ordered the preservation of user data connected with the violations.
The Court directed Google and Meta Platforms to take down all infringing URLs listed in the suit within 48 hours of notification and provide Basic Subscriber Information (BSI) and IP logs of the content creators within three weeks.
The two tech giants were also told to act promptly on any future complaints of imitation or cloning of the singer's persona.
E-commerce platforms Flipkart and Amazon were instructed to delist merchandise and wall art using the singer's image. At the same time, AI content creators such as Jammable Limited, Voicestars, and Lesto Labs were restrained from generating or circulating synthetic content in Sanu's name or voice.
The Court also directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to ensure that Internet Service Providers suspend all identified infringing websites and mobile apps.
The directions came after the Court noted that unauthorised use of a celebrity's name, image, and voice through AI tools amounts to a violation of personality and publicity rights, observing that such imitation leads to commercial exploitation of goodwill and deception of the public.
Relying on earlier rulings that protected the rights of Karan Johar, Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Abhishek Bachchan, the Court reaffirmed that celebrities possess proprietary rights over their persona, including their voice and likeness, and that AI-generated imitations constitute a serious breach of moral and creative ownership.
Counsel Ms Sana Raees Khan appeared for Kumar Sanu, while Adv. Varun Pathak represented Meta and Adv. Aditya Gupta appeared for Google.
The case will be next heard on March 30, 2026, with the Court indicating that a formal injunction order would follow to ensure long-term protection of the singer's personality rights. (ANI)