High Court
Delhi HC halts ESS’ cricket highlights telecast
MUMBAI: Just three days after ESPN STAR Sports announced the acquisition of telecast rights to feature comprehensive daily highlights of all international cricket played in India till September 2004, the Delhi High Court issued an injunction that no part of any ongoing match could be telecast in any form within the Indian territory.
The court issued the stay on telecast following a complaint filed by Modi Entertainment Network, the distributors of national broadcaster Doordarshan’s DD Sports channel. DD holds the worldwide telecast rights for all international cricket played in India.
ESS in an official release stated: “ESS had been licensed highlight rights for the India West Indies 2002 Series by TWI/Stracon acting for Richard Li’s Pacific Century Cyberworks (which had, in turn, been licensed these from TWI). ESS acting in good faith showed highlights for the first 2 days of the match in Mumbai. Earlier today, in a dispute between MEN/Prasar Bharati/TWI/Stracon to which ESS was made a party, MEN and PB contended that TWI/Stracon did not have the rights, which have been licensed to ESS. Pending further hearing the Delhi High Court has injuncted the telecast of the highlights being shown by ESS. We certainly expect TWI/Stracon to appeal the decision immediately.”
The Delhi High Court was in session from 10 am to 4 pm and heard both sides on the matter. After issuing its injunction against ESS, it set 25 October as the next date for detailed arguments, Rajan Kaaicker, CEO distribution group, MEN, told indiantelevision.com.
According to the information available with indiantelevision.com, the situation as it stands is as follows: DD have the worldwide telecast rights for all international cricket played in India. They sublicensed the rights outside of India to TWI/Stracon. However, this includes worldwide (including India) broadband Internet rights for streaming video and the rights for small footage sales in India non exclusively (for advertisements for example). TWI used this deal to sell the nightly highlights of Indian cricket to PCC/Now for their channel along with the streaming video on the Internet. As NOW was restructured they asked TWI to sell the highlights to a conventional non-broadband broadcaster. That is how TWI worked out the highlights package sale to ESPN.
MEN’s argument was that this is in conflict with the TWI contract as sub-license to another broadcaster in India was not part of the terms of the deal, something that the court appears to be prima facie in agreement with.
High Court
Bombay HC likely to protect Kartik Aaryan’s personality rights
Actor seeks Rs 15 crore damages over AI misuse, deepfakes and merch
MUMBAI: In an age where faces can be faked and voices cloned, even stardom needs legal armour. The Bombay High Court has indicated it will pass an order safeguarding the personality and publicity rights of Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan, following allegations of widespread digital misuse of his identity.
The matter, heard by Justice Sharmila U. Deshmukh, centres on a plea filed by Aaryan seeking a broad John Doe injunction against 16 defendants, including e-commerce platforms, social media intermediaries and unidentified entities. The court noted the concerns raised and said appropriate orders would be issued.
At the heart of the case lies the growing threat of artificial intelligence-driven impersonation. Aaryan’s petition flags multiple instances of deepfake content circulating across platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, where his likeness has allegedly been used to create fabricated videos, including false romantic link-ups and objectionable scenarios designed to drive engagement.
In one particularly alarming example, the actor’s legal filing cites AI-generated visuals that falsely associate him with controversial global figures, including Jeffrey Epstein. The plea argues that such content not only misleads audiences but also causes serious reputational damage.
The concerns extend beyond content to commerce. The suit alleges that unauthorised merchandise bearing Aaryan’s name and image is being sold across platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart and Redbubble, without his consent. Additionally, the actor has raised red flags over AI-powered chatbots that mimic his voice and simulate conversations, warning of potential misuse in fraudulent activities.
Aaryan’s filing underscores that he is the registered proprietor of the trademark “Kartik Aaryan”, with his name, voice and likeness carrying significant commercial value. The unauthorised use of these attributes, the plea states, leads to “immediate and irreparable harm” to his goodwill.
Seeking both preventive and punitive relief, the actor has requested a permanent injunction restraining entities from exploiting his identity in any form be it name, voice, signature or distinctive dialogue style. He has also sought damages amounting to Rs 15 crore for alleged commercial misappropriation and reputational loss.
The case highlights a larger legal and cultural moment, where the lines between reality and replication are increasingly blurred. As AI tools become more accessible, courts are now being called upon to define the boundaries of identity in the digital age, where a face may be famous, but control over it is no longer guaranteed.
