Delhi High Court Shields 'Pookie' Baba's Persona

The Delhi High Court has protected preacher Aniruddhacharya's personality rights, restraining unauthorized use of his name and image in memes or AI content. The court directed social media companies to remove infringing content, asserting that misuse of his persona could damage his reputation.

The Delhi High Court has issued a significant ruling to protect the personality rights of the renowned preacher Aniruddhacharya, also known as 'Pookie' Baba. The court's injunction prevents unauthorized entities from using his name, voice, and image in memes, videos, or any AI-generated content.

The interim order, passed by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela on March 30, came in response to a lawsuit filed by Aniruddhacharya. The ruling mandates social media companies such as Meta, X, and Google to remove the identified content that allegedly exploits his persona without permission. The court found a strong prima facie case in the plaintiff's favor, emphasizing his established reputation.

Aniruddhacharya's legal team argued that his personality attributes were being misappropriated for illegal commercial gain. False content misleadingly suggesting his endorsement of fraudulent schemes and goods was also identified, potentially misleading the public and harming his following.

(With inputs from agencies.)