I.A. No. 12907/2026 (for stay)
30.
The present suit has been filed by the plaintiff, seeking a permanent
injunction to restrain the misappropriation of his personality and publicity
rights, impersonation, passing off, and the unauthorized publication of
synthetically generated information, including deepfakes.
31.
Learned Senior Counsel for the plaintiff submits that the plaintiff is a
globally respected author, public figure, former international diplomat, and a
fourth-term Member of Parliament. Further, he has served as the UnderSecretary-General of the United Nations and has held key ministerial
positions in the Government of India. Over the course of a long and
distinguished career in public life, he has earned immense goodwill,
credibility, and public trust. The plaintiff‟s distinctive persona, including, his
visual likeness, recognizable voice, characteristic oratorical style, and highly
refined vocabulary is uniquely identifiable with him.
32.
It is submitted that the plaintiff had a stellar diplomatic career
spanning nearly 30 years at the United Nations, which began in 1978 as a
staff member of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (“UNHCR”) in
Geneva. He was subsequently appointed as the Head of the UNHCR office
in Singapore from 1981 to 1984. It is submitted that his long years of
dedication to international public service forms the bedrock of plaintiff‟s
unimpeachable global credibility and intellectual authority.
33.
It is submitted that subsequent to his tenure at the United Nations, the
plaintiff entered public life and has continuously served as a Member of
Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram since 2009, and has held key ministerial
portfolios in the Government of India, including, Minister of State for
External Affairs and Minister of State for Human Resource Development.
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