Jackie Shroff Moves Delhi High Court to Safeguard Name and Image Rights

In Short

• Jackie Shroff moved Delhi court for protection of personality rights
• The actor’s case is scheduled for a hearing on May 15
• Earlier, Anil Kapoor had also approached the court to protect his personality rights

Actor Jackie Shroff has taken legal action by filing a petition in the Delhi High Court to safeguard his name, likeness, and nickname ‘Bhidu’ from unauthorized use.

The veteran actor initiated legal proceedings against various entities for infringing upon his rights by unlawfully using his name, images, voice, and his popular moniker ‘Bhidu’.

Scheduled for a hearing on May 15, Jackie Shroff’s case aims to secure protection for his identity and attributes, with the possibility of the court issuing an interim order following the proceedings.

Advocate Pravin Anand, representing Shroff, apprised the court of the misuse of his client’s images in offensive memes and the misappropriation of his voice for similar purposes.

In his plea before the High Court, Jackie Shroff seeks explicit protection for his name variations, including ‘Jackie Shroff,’ ‘Jackie,’ ‘Jaggu Dada,’ and the affectionate nickname ‘Bhidu,’ emphasizing that these attributes cannot be utilized without his authorization on any platform.

Additionally, the actor has urged the court to direct the Department of Technology and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) to take necessary actions to remove all unauthorized links and websites that violate his personality rights.

Jackie Shroff’s legal action echoes similar efforts by Bollywood actors to safeguard their personality rights. Last year, Anil Kapoor pursued legal recourse to protect his identity rights, ultimately succeeding in January this year.

Following Kapoor’s victory, his name, voice, image, likeness, mannerisms, gestures, and iconic catchphrase ‘jhakaas’ are now legally protected against unauthorized use.

As Jackie Shroff’s case unfolds in court, it underscores the importance of upholding an individual’s rights to their identity and attributes in an era where digital platforms can easily exploit such elements for various purposes.