New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday considered a suit filed by filmmaker and producer Karan Johar against disparaging online content, observing that a mechanism could be put in place to ensure timely action by social media intermediaries in such cases.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, who presided over the matter, noted that while memes in general cannot be equated with disparagement, objectionable material targeting a public figure could warrant urgent redressal.
“We can put a mechanism in place that ‘this is a disparaging meme, they (social media intermediaries) have to take action in 24 hours’,” Justice Arora remarked orally during the hearing.
Johar seeks protection of publicity rights
In his suit, Johar sought protection of his publicity and personality rights, objecting to the unauthorised use of his name in memes, merchandise, and fundraising campaigns. His counsel, senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao, told the court that the filmmaker’s identity was being exploited without permission and that the trend was becoming increasingly common.
“His name is being used unauthorisedly to raise funds. It is now becoming a recurring trend. At some point, lines are crossed,” Rao argued.
While acknowledging that Johar “lives off” his fan base and even benefits from the attention generated by memes, the counsel stressed the need for some measure of restraint when content crosses into disparagement.
Wider context of celebrity cases
Johar’s plea follows a series of similar cases filed by high-profile celebrities. Just last week, the Delhi High Court recognised the publicity and personality rights of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, directing takedowns of infringing material and restraining unauthorised use of their name, photographs, or likeness.
The court had noted at that time that it could not turn a blind eye to misuse of celebrity identity and ordered social media intermediaries to comply with the injunction.
Legal experts suggest that such cases are testing the boundaries of publicity rights in India, especially at a time when digital content, memes, and online commentary often blur the line between humour and defamation.
Court weighs way forward
Justice Arora, while considering Johar’s submissions, clarified that there could not be an open-ended injunction against all memes. Instead, the court indicated it may put in place a mechanism requiring swift takedown of specific disparaging material flagged by the celebrity.
The court also asked Johar to narrow down and clearly specify the exact reliefs he was seeking against users and platforms. The matter is expected to be taken up further for hearing later in the day.
Conclusion
The case underscores the growing tension between freedom of expression online and the rights of public figures to protect their image and identity. While the Delhi High Court is exploring mechanisms to balance the two, the outcome of Johar’s plea could set an important precedent for how disparaging memes and digital content are handled in India.