The Delhi High Court has taken steps to protect the personality rights of cardiologist Devi Prasad Shetty and the trademark of his hospital, Narayana Hrudayalaya, Bar and bench reported.

The ruling comes in response to a case against individuals and operators of Facebook pages accused of spreading doctored videos falsely linking Shetty to unverified health tips and products.

Per Bar and benchJustice Mini Pushkarna, presiding over the case, noted that the plaintiffs established a prima facie case for an injunction. She stated that without an ex parte ad interim injunction, the plaintiffs would suffer irreparable harm, and the balance of convenience favored the plaintiffs over the defendants.

The court ruling specifically targets individuals who have been accused of sharing misleading content that could harm Shetty’s reputation. The court emphasized that such actions pose a significant risk of misleading the public and impairing the goodwill associated with the plaintiffs.

The court also recognized the significance of Narayana Hrudayalaya’s trademarks, including “Narayana Health”, which are synonymous with high-quality healthcare services. Misuse of these trademarks may mislead the public and damage the institution’s reputation, Bar and bench reported.

In its ruling, the court prohibited the defendants from exploiting Shetty’s name, image or likeness for commercial or personal gain without his express permission. This covers the use of emerging technologies such as AI and deepfake tools.

Additionally, the court ordered the defendants to refrain from infringing Narayana Health’s registered trademarks. Social media intermediaries have been urged to block and remove infringing content while disclosing the defendants’ full details, including names, addresses and contact details. Google LLC has also been tasked with removing infringing content from YouTube.

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