Delhi HC grants interim personality-rights protection to podcaster Raj Shamani

The Delhi high court on Monday granted interim protection for the personality rights of podcaster and influencer Raj Shamani, who claimed his name, image, voice, and online presence are being widely misused on the internet.

Shamani, who has 13.2 million subscribers on YouTube and hosts the Figuring Out With Raj Shamani podcast, moved the court, claiming videos on social media wrongly show him endorsing betting platforms and questionable cryptocurrency schemes.

His petition, as seen by Mint, also highlighted fake endorsements by financial services providers such as TaxBuddy, Telegram accounts soliciting money from people, YouTube channels re-uploading his podcast clips without permission, and websites such as ZoomMantra, BookMyArtistIndia, and PartyMap, offering him for corporate events without his consent.

The plea said hashtags such as #rajshamani and #figuringout are being used to drive traffic to unrelated content, creating a false impression of association.

Further, it highlighted YouTube channels that repost his interviews after removing his branding, as well as vulgar parody videos, including one edited to look like an interview with Adolf Hitler and one featuring an inappropriate conversation with a character styled after Vijay Mallya.

They argued that such impersonations mislead people and damage their credibility.

No injunction on parody

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, however, questioned his request to block all hashtags containing his name, noting that hashtags do not always indicate endorsement. “You’re a public persona. You will have to give that much leeway,” she said. “A broadcaster may have exclusive rights to a cricket match, but someone reporting on it can still use the match hashtag.”

The judge also suggested that issues related to memes and parody content be taken up separately, as they involve contested questions and should not be mixed with clear cases of misuse.

For now, the court will look only at the specific allegations supported by evidence—fake videos, booking websites using his name, false endorsements, impersonating Telegram accounts, and derogatory videos such as the Hitler parody. Other complaints will be dealt with later.

In an emailed response to Mint’s queries, Shamani said he had not faced any pushback from the brands he works with due to the legal proceedings. However, he noted that misuse often creates confusion, especially when fake ads or AI-generated videos circulate without a person’s knowledge.

“The legal action actually reassured many partners because it showed that we take our brand, our audience, and our social capital seriously. Instead of harming collaborations, this move has strengthened them. It signals that creators can now operate with more professionalism and accountability."

Shamani joins public figures like Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karan Johar, and Anil Kapoor, who have approached courts to protect their personality rights.