Samantha Ruth Prabhu wins Bombay High Court order against AI deepfakes and misuse of her name, image and voice

Samantha Ruth Prabhu has secured interim protection from the Bombay High Court against the unauthorised use of her name, image and voice. Bollywood Hungama reported that the court on Thursday barred AI platforms, e-commerce portals and digital media entities from using her identity without permission and directed that unauthorised content featuring the actor be taken down.

Hearing her suit on personality rights, Justice Madhav Jamdar found that the material placed before the court pointed, at first glance, to an infringement of Samantha’s personality and publicity rights through non-consensual AI-generated deepfakes and morphed content, according to Bollywood Hungama.

The order at a glance

Detail	What was reported
Court	Bombay High Court, Justice Madhav Jamdar
Relief granted	Ad-interim injunction and takedown of offending content
Defendants	18 in all, including unknown infringers, AI developers, platforms, e-commerce entities and government bodies
Legal basis	Articles 19(1)(a) and 21 of the Constitution; Section 38B of the Copyright Act
Next hearing	December 10

What the judge said

Bollywood Hungama, citing an India Today report, quoted the judge’s observations: “The plaintiff’s personality rights and publicity rights are protected by Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India, that is, the right to freedom of speech and expression, as also by Article 21 of the Constitution of India, that is, the right to life and personal liberty, including the right to privacy and the right to human dignity, and her moral rights as a performer are separately protected under Section 38B of the Copyright Act. Thus, all these valuable rights of the plaintiff are violated and adversely affected by the impugned actions of the defendants.”

What Samantha asked for

According to Bollywood Hungama, the actor moved the court to stop the creation and circulation of AI-generated, morphed and deepfake content built around her identity. The suit names unknown infringers as well as technology platforms, AI developers, digital media companies and e-commerce entities, 18 defendants in total, a list that also includes government bodies. She sought permanent injunctions, content takedowns and damages, and asked for a John Doe order, the mechanism that allows action against infringers whose identities are not yet known.

On jurisdiction, the report said Samantha invoked Section 62 of the Copyright Act, 1957, with her performers’ moral rights claim resting on Section 38B of the same Act. She was granted leave under Clause XII of the Letters Patent on August 28, which lets the Bombay High Court hear matters where defendants or causes of action lie outside its usual territorial limits. She told the court her business and goodwill are rooted in Mumbai, while several of the alleged infringing activities are run by non-resident defendants.

What happens next

Granting ad-interim relief, the court ordered the removal of the offending content and restrained any further unauthorised use of her name, image and voice, Bollywood Hungama reported. The matter is listed for its next hearing on December 10, when the court can consider the permanent injunction and damages she has sought.

Part of a widening trend

The order adds Samantha to a growing list of Indian performers who have gone to court over AI misuse of their likeness, with personality rights petitions becoming one of the busiest corners of entertainment litigation this year. The Bombay High Court’s reliance on constitutional rights to privacy and dignity, alongside the performer’s moral rights under copyright law, follows the pattern of earlier orders and gives platforms a clear instruction: take the content down now, and argue the merits in December.

For the actor, the ruling arrives alongside her ongoing promotion of Maa Inti Bangaaram, whose television premiere for Hindi audiences she discussed with Bollywood Hungama in a separate interview this week.

Frequently asked questions

What did the Bombay High Court order in Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s case?

The court granted ad-interim relief barring AI platforms, e-commerce portals and digital media entities from using her name, image and voice without permission, and ordered unauthorised content taken down, Bollywood Hungama reported.

Who are the defendants in Samantha’s personality rights suit?

According to Bollywood Hungama, there are 18 defendants, including unknown infringers, technology platforms, AI developers, digital media companies, e-commerce entities and government bodies.

When is the next hearing?

The matter is listed for December 10, Bollywood Hungama reported.