High Court
With eye on China, Star creates new government affairs post, Joe Welch to head
MUMBAI: Star has created a new post to handle government and regulatory affairs. Joe Welch has been appointed as senior vice president government affairs, and will oversee public policy issues related to Star’s operations.
“We are expanding in China and Taiwan. There is a need to understand the regulatory climate in these and the other Asian markets where we are present,” a source in Star said. India, however will not fall under Welch’s supervision at the moment, the source added.
Welch will report to Star CEO Michelle Guthrie.
Welch was previously the regional director of government and regulatory affairs for MCI Asia Pacific with responsibility for the company’s operations in Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Mainland China, Australia, Singapore, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.
Prior to joining MCI in 2000, Welch served as Telecommunications Business Consultant for Booz Allen & Hamilton, working in its Thai, Indonesian and Singapore offices. Welch also worked closely with key Malaysian policy makers to develop plans for the regulation of the country’s telecom and media sectors.
Educated in the US, Welch holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Political Science from Amherst College in Massachusetts and a law degree from Santa Clara University, California.
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.
