Sunil Gavaskar becomes first Indian sportsperson to receive personality rights protection

Published - 23 Dec 2025, 22:09 IST | Updated - 23 Dec 2025, 22:18 IST

Legendary Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar has become the first Indian sportsperson to receive court-backed protection for his personality and publicity rights. The feat ruling by the Delhi High Court records a major moment in Indian sports law, reinforcing the legal recognition of an athlete’s identity as a protected personal asset.

On December 23, the Delhi High Court ordered individuals accused of misusing Gavaskar’s name, image, and voice to remove all infringing content from social media and e-commerce platforms within 72 hours. The court further directed that if the accused failed to comply, the platforms themselves would be obligated to take down the content.

Gavaskar had approached the court citing the unauthorised sale of merchandise, misleading social media posts, and false attribution of statements that could damage his credibility as a senior cricket commentator. The case was heard by Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, with Senior Advocate Gopal Jain representing Gavaskar, briefed by Krida Legal. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for May 22, 2026.

The ruling holds particular importance as it is among the first judicial interventions in India to explicitly safeguard a sportsperson’s personality and publicity rights. The court accepted concerns over obscene, misleading, and commercially exploitative content circulating online. While recognising the role of humour and satire on social media, the court observed that content which prima facie infringes an individual’s personality rights cannot be allowed.

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It is worth noting that personality rights refer to an individual’s legal right to control, protect, and monetise the use of their name, image, voice, and identity. Gavaskar’s petition stated how unchecked digital misuse, especially through social media virality, AI-generated content, and unauthorised merchandising, can cause reputational harm and commercial exploitation.

The order places Gavaskar alongside a list of Indian celebrities who have sought similar protection. Film personalities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, and Jackie Shroff have all received court-backed safeguards against the misuse of their persona.

Globally, sportspersons have long recognised the commercial value of personality rights. Icons like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi have actively protected their names and likenesses through trademarks and licensing agreements.