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Due to deepfakes, erotica, and merchandise that takes advantage of his "Khamosh" character, the actor has sued tech companies, e-commerce sites, and John Doe parties.
Shatrughan Sinha, an actor and member of the Lok Sabha, has petitioned the Bombay High Court for protection of his personality rights, claiming that his name, image, and famous line "Khamosh" (quiet!) have been widely misused online. [John Doe, Meta, and Ors. v. Shatrughan Prasad Sinha]
Regarding Sinha's request for an interim injunction, Justice Sharmila Deshmukh postponed her decision today.
Sinha claimed that his performances were being altered in a way that was detrimental to his reputation, citing both his right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution and the artists' rights under the Copyright Act.
Sinha requested a temporary order prohibiting John Doe parties from utilizing his name, character, and mannerisms while the lawsuit was pending. Additionally, he requested a temporary injunction to stop passing off by selling illegal goods.
Through his son Luv Sinha, the lawsuit was brought against unidentified individuals and multinational IT firms, such as the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Union Department of Telecommunication, e-commerce websites, bloggers, Meta, X (previously Twitter), and Google.
Sinha has requested a permanent injunction to prevent third parties from exploiting his name, voice, demeanor, signature word "Khamosh," and general persona for profit without his permission.
He has demanded payment of the earnings made from the usage of this identity or damages totaling ₹20 crores.
On behalf of Sinha, attorney Hiren Kamod contended that the actor had built a significant amount of goodwill and financial worth in his character over the years.
The Court was informed, however, that unidentified individuals and different platforms are stealing the goodwill by making phony social media profiles, disseminating caricatures based on his performance, and marketing products featuring his picture and slogan.
According to Kamod, these actions deprive the actor of control over the environment in which his persona is employed, damage his reputation by associating him with offensive humor, and mislead the public into thinking that he is connected to the products or material.
IndiaLaw LLP was used to file the lawsuit.
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