Delhi HC orders takedown of Bhuvan Bam’s unauthorised images from online platforms

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the removal of images of YouTuber and actor Bhuvan Bam that were uploaded and used on various platforms without his consent.

Bhuvan Bam’s unauthorised images to be taken down from online platforms

However, the court declined to pass any interim order on the broader issue of protecting his personality rights at this stage.

Justice Jyoti Singh observed that a prima facie finding on personality rights could not be given on the very first day of hearing. The court clarified that the issue would be examined in detail at a later stage and listed the matter for further hearing in February.

Bam had filed a civil suit alleging infringement of his personality and publicity rights, claiming that several entities and individuals had been unlawfully exploiting his name, image, voice, likeness, and other elements of his persona without authorisation, license, or permission.

The petitioner also contended that such unauthorised use amounts to a violation of registered trademarks, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights jointly owned by him and his company, BB Ki Vines. It was argued that the commercial misuse of his identity is likely to mislead the public and cause confusion.

Bam and BB Ki Vines submitted that he has acquired distinct recognition and goodwill among the public, and any unauthorised commercial exploitation of his persona dilutes that goodwill.

Bhuvan Bam is among India’s most prominent digital content creators, with over 26.6 million subscribers on YouTube and a massive following across platforms, such as Instagram and X.

Born in Vadodara, Gujarat, Bam launched BB Ki Vines (short, character-driven comedy sketches) in 2015 and created multiple recurring characters, all portrayed by him.

He uses daily life characters in his comedy videos, which became an instant hit among the youth, going viral all over the Internet.

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