Legendary playback singer Kumar Sanu has taken a significant step, moving the Delhi High Court to fiercely protect his unique identity. He’s seeking to safeguard his personality and publicity rights, specifically his iconic name, distinctive voice, and signature vocal style and technique.
The case is scheduled to be heard by Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora on Monday, October 13, 2025.
The legal petition highlights the importance of preserving all aspects of Mr. Sanu’s artistic persona. This includes his well-known name, unmistakable voice, specific vocal style, musical arrangements, unique interpretations, characteristic mannerisms, and even his visual representation through images, caricatures, photographs, likeness, and signature.
Crucially, the plea aims to prevent any unauthorized or unlicensed use and commercial exploitation by third parties. Such actions, he argues, could mislead the public, create confusion, and dilute the value and authenticity of his brand.
Filed through his legal representatives, advocates Shikha Sachdeva and Sana Raees Khan, the lawsuit also addresses the infringement of Mr. Sanu’s moral rights. These rights, intrinsic to his artistic performances, are explicitly protected under the provisions of the Copyright Act.
The singer’s legal team asserts that the defendants are unlawfully violating his personality and publicity rights by extracting and utilizing his name, voice, likeness, and overall public persona without consent.
Adding to his distress, Mr. Sanu is specifically troubled by the proliferation of GIFs, as well as audio and video recordings that feature his performances and voice. He argues that these unauthorized uses damage his reputation, subjecting him to “unsavoury humor” and further infringing upon his moral rights as a performer.
A significant concern raised in the petition is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create content that clones his voice, replicates his distinct vocal style and technique, mimics his musical arrangements and interpretations, and even morphs his face. This extends to the creation of merchandise featuring these AI-generated elements.
The lawsuit explicitly states that such unauthorized merchandise, audio, and video content directly generates revenue for the defendants. These materials are widely distributed and streamed across major social networking platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where income is derived from clicks and views, capitalizing unfairly on his identity.
Concluding the argument, the plea emphasizes that these actions constitute attempts at false endorsement and “passing off” – misleading the public into believing that Mr. Sanu has endorsed or is associated with these products. Therefore, the court is requested to issue an immediate injunction to halt these infringing activities.