High Court
Red FM ecstatic at winning legal battle; reiterates commitment to reach smaller cities
NEW DELHI: Red FM, which was allowed to participate in the first batch of private FM Phase III auction earlier today by the Delhi High Court, is indeed heaving a sigh of relief, which is slated to commence from 27 July.
Reaffirming faith in the country’s judicial system, Red FM COO Nisha Narayanan said, “We feel that the Delhi High Court has accepted our submission that we have no connection with the reasons for denial of security clearance and rejection of our application.”
Emphasising that the Court had only read out the operative portion and the full judgment was not available yet, Narayanan added, “We will continue with auction according to our plans of bidding for more frequencies. We are one of country’s largest networks of FM stations and hopefully post the final outcome of these auctions we shall retain our leadership status.”
She expressed her pleasure for the permission to participate in the auction of first batch of private FM Radio Phase III channels starting from 27 July.
Expressing joy that the issue had been settled Narayanan said, “From the beginning we had kept a sizeable sim of money to be spent on these auctions (through which government stands to earn with go ahead on our participation). Our inclusion means healthy competition and will benefit the entire FM radio industry and media and entertainment industry at large.”
She said RED FM not only reaches to some of the smaller cities but also gives the local music and entertainment industry a voice. It always believes in being a socially active and relevant entertainment medium, creating employment opportunities for local youth specially women and become a voice of city wherever it operates its station.
“In Phase III, we also have plans of going ahead with the philosophy of nurturing not only commercially viable bigger metro cities but also reaching out to the last corner of the country,” she noted.
“At the end of Phase II we had the highest number of stations in North East and three-tier and four-tier cities as a network. This is something which we will continue in Phase III also,” she added.
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.
