Overview
- Justice N. Senthilkumar granted interim relief restraining use of Ilaiyaraaja’s name, image, voice and other identifiable attributes without authorisation.
- The injunction covers television channels, YouTube channels, music companies and social media influencers monetising content on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
- The court recorded a prima facie case for the plaintiff and directed that the interim order remain in force until further orders while written replies are filed.
- Ilaiyaraaja’s suit, filed as Dr Ilaiyaraaja v. John Doe Ashok Kumar and Others (OA 1091 of 2025; CS (Comm Div) 295 of 2025), targets both identified and unidentified entities.
- The plaint cites AI-generated videos and memes as unauthorised exploitation and relies on recent personality-rights rulings, asserting his name and honorifics function as unregistered trademarks.