Delhi High Court protects cricketer Abhishek Sharma against AI deepfakes and fake merch
The Delhi High Court has granted interim protection to Indian cricketer Abhishek Sharma against the unauthorised use of his name, image, and likeness. In an order passed on July 9, the court restrained social media accounts and online merchants from exploiting the cricketer's personality through artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content, deepfakes, and unauthorised merchandise.
Justice Jyoti Singh, presiding over the matter, held that Sharma had established a prima facie case for the protection of his personality and publicity rights. The interim order comes after the cricketer filed a lawsuit targeting various defendants, including unidentified individuals and several accounts on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X.
According to the plea, multiple social media accounts had been circulating AI-generated and morphed images depicting the Indian cricketer in fabricated and obscene situations. The lawsuit also highlighted that other accounts were spreading false rumours about Sharma through manipulated videos and captions.
In addition to digital manipulation, the plaintiff alleged commercial exploitation by online sellers. The plea stated that several online merchants were selling merchandise—including T-shirts, jerseys, posters, and photo frames—carrying Sharma's name and likeness without obtaining any authorisation.
During the proceedings, the court noted that Sharma is a prominent player of the Indian National Team. The court further recognised him as a rising and influential figure in international cricket, noting that he has attained the No. 1 position in the ICC Men’s T20 International rankings.
This is not the first time the high court has stepped in to protect the publicity rights of public figures. Previously, prominent individuals including actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Vivek Oberoi, Arun Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, and Allu Arjun have approached the court and received interim relief.
Similar protections have also been granted recently to politician Shashi Tharoor, cricketer Gautam Gambhir, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, and podcaster Raj Shamani.
