In a major order, the Delhi High Court has awarded interim protection to Telugu actor and producer Vishnu Manchu, safeguarding his personality rights against illegal exploitation. The order is part of a long-running court struggle in which Vishnu Manchu sought a permanent injunction to prevent defamation, copyright infringement, and the commercial and personal use of his image.
Justice Mini Pushkarna, who presided over the case, acknowledged the merits of Vishnu Manchu's appeal, noting, "The plaintiff has demonstrated a prima facie case for the grant of a permanent injunction, and if an ex-parte interim injunction is not issued, the plaintiff would suffer irreparable harm."
As the President of the Movie Artists Association (MAA), Vishnu Manchu started fighting against YouTube channels that create derogatory content about film celebrities. So far, because of Vishnu’s warning and Youtube strikes, 75 YouTube links and channels have been removed. There has been a counter strike from Youtubers and content creators who claim that their freedom of speech is being killed.
The Dhee actor is currently in talks with other notable actors about pursuing similar legal safeguards, to put an end to the trolling and defamatory content on social media sites. This initiative aims to ensure that celebrities are no longer forced to endure online vicious trolling and harmful speech that invades their privacy, tarnishes their reputation, and harms their personality rights.
The Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology have been asked to suspend links and URLs containing derogatory content. Furthermore, defendants have been ordered to remove all illegal content within 48 hours, with YouTube instructed to prohibit or suspend any remaining content if compliance is not fulfilled.
Similar legal rights suits are expected from other figures of the Telugu film industry. Meanwhile, Vishnu Manchu is coming with Kannappa scheduled for a December release.