Delhi High Court affirms personality rights of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Grants injunctions against unauthorized use
The Delhi High Court has granted relief to actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, restraining unauthorized use of their name, image, and likeness. The Court passed an interim injunction against various digital platforms and entities that were found to be misappropriating Abhishek Bachchan’s persona for commercial gain, including the unauthorized use of his photographs, voice, and signature. In a parallel case concerning Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the Court took serious note of the circulation of AI-generated pornographic content and the misuse of her image on merchandise, observing that such acts constitute as an infringement of her personality and privacy rights.
No certification for film that ridicules religion, incites hatred, threatens social harmony: Delhi HC
The Delhi High Court recently upheld the refusal by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to certify the film “Masoom Kaatil”, finding that its content including religious ridicule, communal remarks, excessive violence, and depictions of lawlessness posed a threat to social harmony and violated established statutory and guideline provisions under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and the CBFC’s 1991 Guidelines. Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora held that while artistic freedom is protected under Article 19(1)(a), it is not absolute, and must yield to reasonable restrictions in the interests of decency, morality, and public order.
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Delhi High Court refuses interim relief to Dharma Productions in Shamshera copyright case
The Delhi High Court has declined to grant interim relief to Dharma Productions in a copyright infringement case concerning its film Shamshera. The complaint, filed by writer Bikramjeet Singh Bhullar, alleges that the film copies substantial elements from his unpublished work “Kabu Na Chhadein Khet”, shared with the production house in 2007. While the Court issued notice on the petition challenging the FIR, it refused to stay the investigation. The matter is next listed for hearing on October 14, 2025.
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Delhi High Court imposes fine on NDTV Anchor Gargi Rawat in defamation suit filed by Abhijit Iyer-Mitra
The Delhi District Court has imposed a fine of INR 10,000 on NDTV journalist Gargi Rawat in a defamation case initiated by Abhijit Iyer-Mitra. The Court held that Rawat’s act of ‘liking’ a tweet containing defamatory allegations against Iyer-Mitra amounted to republication of the defamatory content, thereby attracting liability. While the plaintiff had sought damages of INR 20 lakhs, the Court moderated the penalty considering the conduct of both parties. Additionally, the Court took adverse note of Rawat’s refusal to appear for examination during the proceedings. As per the Order, the fine is to be paid within two weeks, failing which interest at the rate of 6% per annum shall accrue.
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PIL Filed in Madhya Pradesh High Court Over ‘Bhai Vakil Hai’ Song from Jolly LLB 3
A PIL has been filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court challenging the song “Bhai Vakil Hai” from the film Jolly LLB 3, alleging that it portrays lawyers in a derogatory and offensive manner. The petition contends that the song demeans the legal profession and undermines public confidence in the judiciary. This development follows similar litigation in Ahmedabad. The Madhya Pradesh High Court is scheduled to hear the matter on September 12, 2025.
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Supreme Court to decide validity over online gaming law, transfers cases from High Courts
The Supreme Court of India has transferred all petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, to itself, consolidating cases from multiple High Courts including Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Delhi. The Act’s ban on online money gaming is contested on grounds of violating fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, and 21.
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DPDP Rules to be notified before upcoming parliament session
The Central Government plans to notify and commence implementation of the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules ahead of the upcoming session of Parliament, according to Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a statement to Moneycontrol. “I must thank the industry, they came up with so much openness, positivity, constructive ideas. And that’s practically done now. We should be able to publish it well before the next session of Parliament,” he said in the interview.
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Supreme Court allows Cognizant to continue using logo pending final hearing
The Supreme Court of India has stayed a Bombay High Court Division Bench order that had restrained Cognizant from using its hexagonal logo in a trademark dispute with Atyati Technologies. Atyati alleges that Cognizant’s logo is deceptively similar to its own mark, used since 2019. The Single Judge had initially allowed Cognizant to continue usage, but this was later overturned by the Division Bench. The Supreme Court has now restored the earlier interim relief in Cognizant’s favour. The High Court has been directed to decide the injunction application within six months.
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Film Producers and FEFSI Resolve Dispute Through Mediation
The Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) and the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) have amicably settled their long-standing dispute over wages and working conditions through mediation led by retired Justice M. Govindaraj. A joint memorandum of compromise was submitted before the Madras High Court, which closed the pending petitions. Under the settlement, existing terms will continue from March 10, 2022, to March 9, 2025, after which a fresh memorandum of understanding with revised clauses will be drafted. The new agreement will be binding on all producer associations involved in Tamil film productions and will be subject to review every three years.
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Delhi Court Bars Journalists & Websites from Publishing Unverified, Defamatory Reports on Adani Group
A Delhi court (Rohini Courts, Special Civil Judge Anuj Kumar Singh) granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction in favour of Adani Enterprises, restraining several journalists and websites from publishing or circulating “prima facie defamatory and unverified” content about the Adani Group. The defendants named include specific journalists (Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta, Ayaskant Das, Ayush Joshi) and websites such as pranjoy.in, adaniwatch.org, and adanifiles.com.au. The court held that there is a prima facie case for defamation, that continued publication risks irreparable harm to Adani’s reputation, and ordered removal of defamatory content within five days. The ruling also refers to obligations under the IT Rules, 2021 regarding removal of such content within 36 hours once notified.
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Makers of Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale Seek Out-of-Court Settlement Over Chandramukhi Lawsuit
The documentary Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale is under legal challenge from AB International (producers of Chandramukhi) for allegedly using footage without permission, for which they are seeking ₹5 crore in damages. The case was listed on September 10, 2025, and rather than go to trial, Nayanthara’s legal team is discussing an out-of-court settlement with AB International, aiming to resolve the dispute before the next hearing scheduled for October 6.
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Madras High Court Halts Good Bad Ugly Screenings Over Use of Ilaiyaraaja’s Songs
The Madras High Court has issued an interim injunction restraining the producers of Good Bad Ugly (Mythri Movie Makers) from exhibiting, distributing, selling, or streaming the film if it contains three classic songs by Ilaiyaraaja — Otha Rubayum Thaaren, Ilamai Idho Idho, and En Jodi Manja Kuruvi — which the composer alleges were used without his permission. The court took this decision after finding the producer’s reply to his legal notice vague and unsubstantiated, particularly in failing to name the rights holder or provide proof of authorization.
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Punjab & Haryana High Court Dismisses Plea Over Songs Glorifying Drugs, Alcohol on Streaming Platforms
The Punjab & Haryana High Court threw out a contempt petition seeking enforcement of a 2019 ruling that barred songs promoting alcohol, drugs or violence at live shows, arguing the order was limited to controlling noise pollution at physical venues-not online or streaming platforms. Advocate Hardik Ahluwalia’s petition claimed that authorities ignored the 2019 direction and that such songs remain freely available on services like YouTube, Spotify, and JioSaavn. But Justice Sudeepti Sharma held that the petitioner failed to show willful disobedience of those orders or that they ever applied to online content, and thus dismissed the case.
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Nepal Scraps Social Media Ban After Violent Youth Protests Leave Nearly 20 Dead
The Nepal government revoked its ban on 26 social media platforms including Facebook, X, and WhatsApp following massive youth-led protests that turned violent in Kathmandu, in which at least 19 people died and over 300 were injured. The shutdown had been ordered because these platforms allegedly failed to register with the government. Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung announced the withdrawal after an emergency cabinet meeting, and agencies were instructed to restore access in line with protesters’ demands.
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Bombay High Court Bars Mumbai Police from Filing Chargesheet Against Dhruva Sarja Without Court’s Permission
The Bombay High Court has restrained the Mumbai Police from filing a chargesheet against Kannada actor Dhruva Sarja in a cheating and criminal breach of trust case, unless the Court grants permission. The case stems from a producer, Raghvendra Hegde, claiming Sarja took INR 3 crore in advance between 2016-2018 for a film called The Soldier, which was never completed. With 18% annual interest since 2018, the producer alleges losses have grown to over INR 9 crore. Sarja’s side admitted receipt of the funds but argued delays were not his fault and that a usable script was delivered only in December 2023. Prior to this order, the court had directed Sarja to deposit INR 3.10 crore as a show of good faith.
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