Veteran playback singer Kumar Sanu has approached the Delhi High Courtseeking protection over his personality and publicity rights — including his voice, name, image, and unique singing style. The petition, which will be heard by Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora on Monday, aims to safeguard the legendary singer from any unauthorised commercial use of his identity. Filed through advocates Shikha Sachdeva and Sana Raees Khan, the plea requests the court to prohibit individuals or entities from exploiting Sanu’s persona, voice, or likeness without consent. It specifically seeks an injunction against those imitating his “voice, vocal techniques, interpretations, images, caricatures, photographs, and signature,” asserting that such actions violate his artistic and moral rights. The petition claims that several third parties have been misusing Sanu’s identity in a manner that could mislead the public and damage his reputation. It argues that these acts amount to a dilution of his legacy and breach of the moral rights protected under the Copyright Act. Highlighting recent trends, the plea points out the growing misuse of his likeness online. “Such merchandise and audios/videos of the plaintiff generate revenue for the defendants, as they are uploaded and streamed on social networking websites, including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, which generate revenue based on the number of clicks or views to a particular image/video,” the petition reads. It further adds, “Such acts also amount to an attempt at false endorsements and passing off and hence, must be restrained by an order of injunction by this court.” The filing notes that several AI-generated audios, GIFs, and videos mimicking Sanu’s voice and persona have been circulating on the internet — some in a mocking or disrespectful manner — thereby infringing on his creative identity. Sanu’s move comes as more public figures take legal steps to protect their image and likeness in the digital era. In recent months, celebrities like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek BachchanKaran Johar, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Suniel Shetty, and journalist Sudhir Chaudhary have all secured interim relief in similar cases concerning unauthorised digital imitation.
