Personality rights are unique rights and they have gained importance in today’s world because of the increased number of celebrity endorsements. A single image of a celebrity affects the reputation of a product he or she is endorsing and vice-versa. In India, personality rights are per se not recognised. They are generally invoked through right to privacy guaranteed by the Article 21 of the Indian Constitution or through right to publicity inferred from article 19 of the Indian Constitution. Personality rights are either protected as right to privacy or they can be protected as the property of a persona.
Disclaimer: This article first appeared on the legal publication Mondaq’s website in October 2014.