The name of Bollywood’s legendary Bachchan family has been associated with the identity and legacy of Hindi cinema for decades. Now, in a case related to this name and its reputation, the Delhi High Court has raised very important questions. While hearing a case regarding false news spread about Aaradhya Bachchan’s health, the court asked whether the name and reputation of a famous family can be considered a legacy. If so, can this legacy be passed on to future generations with legal protection?
During the hearing of the case related to Aaradhya Bachchan, the Delhi High Court raised important questions regarding the family’s name and its reputation. The court asked whether the reputation associated with the name of a famous family can receive legal protection like a legacy for future generations. If it can, for how many generations will this protection continue?
Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan’s daughter Aaradhya is 14 years old.
Justice Anoop Jairam Bhambhani said that the identity of a trademark is formed by its product or service. But the identity of a person or family’s name is formed by their achievements, work, and reputation in society. In such a situation, the question is whether this reputation can also be carried forward like a family’s legacy.
The court raised three big questions-
Can a family’s reputation pass on to future generations? The court will see if the reputation of a family name is considered like a trademark; can this reputation continue for future generations? If yes, what will be its legal limit?
Is fake news also a violation of Intellectual Property Rights? The court will also see if extremely objectionable and false news spread about a celebrity or their family can be considered a violation of Intellectual Property Rights.
Can defamation also be linked to Intellectual Property? The court will try to understand if defamation that harms a person’s reputation can be brought under Intellectual Property Rights.
The court clarified that these questions are not final and further issues may also be discussed in the case.
What is Aaradhya Bachchan’s case?
- Aaradhya Bachchan filed a petition in the Delhi High Court through her father, Abhishek Bachchan, in 2023.
- The petition sought action against several YouTube channels and some unidentified people.
- The case alleged that false news about Aaradhya’s health was being circulated through YouTube videos.
- Some videos claimed that she was seriously ill and admitted to hospital. One even falsely reported her death.
- Some comments also alleged that the Bachchan family had failed to provide her with timely treatment.
- In April 2023, the Delhi High Court restrained the publication of such content.
- At the time, Justice C. Hari Shankar said every child has the right to live with dignity and it does not matter whether the child belongs to a celebrity or an ordinary family.
- The court said that false and misleading information about a child’s physical or mental health cannot be allowed to be circulated.
The issue of the Bachchan family’s legacy
Advocate Praveen Anand, appearing for Aaradhya, said that the matter is not just about Aaradhya’s reputation, but the reputation of the entire Bachchan family.
He told the court that videos were made using pictures of the Bachchan family and the name ‘Bachchan’, in which false claims like Aaradhya’s death or cancer were made. This damaged the family’s reputation.
This is why a big question now stands before the court: can the name and reputation of a famous family be considered a legacy, and can that legacy be given legal protection?
Next hearing on 15 September
The Delhi High Court will hear the next hearing of this case on 15 September. During this, further discussion will be held on questions related to family reputation, fake news, defamation and personality rights.
The decision in this case may not only be important for the Bachchan family, but also for other celebrity families. This can help determine how the law protects a family’s name, identity, image and reputation from being misused online.
