Delhi High Court Protects Gautam Gambhir's Image from Unauthorized Use

Court Ruling on Gambhir's Image Rights

The Delhi High Court has taken significant steps to safeguard Gautam Gambhir's image, issuing a broad injunction that defends his personality and publicity rights against unauthorized digital impersonation, including AI-generated deepfakes.

Justice Jyoti Singh's ruling grants an ex parte ad interim injunction in favor of Gambhir, ensuring he receives full legal protection. The court's order also acknowledges Gambhir's remarkable achievements, including his performances in international cricket across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, as well as his pivotal roles in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup finals.

Gambhir's civil suit highlighted various instances where social media platforms showcased manipulated videos on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and Facebook, utilizing technologies such as artificial intelligence, face-swapping, and voice cloning.

The petition detailed specific examples, including a resignation announcement that garnered over 2.9 million views and a fabricated video where he allegedly commented on senior cricketers' World Cup participation, which attracted over 1.7 million views.

According to the court's directive, major platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Meta, Instagram, Google, and YouTube are required to remove all infringing URLs. Additionally, these platforms are prohibited from using Gambhir's image through AI, deepfakes, face morphing, or AI chatbots without proper authorization. Amazon and Flipkart must also reveal seller identities, while Meta and Google are tasked with providing subscriber information and IP log data within a two-week timeframe.