Race to save brand, celebrity identity will intensify in 2026

The courtroom scramble is expected to make way for deliberate, proactive action this year

- Krishna Yadav

In 2025, many Indian celebrities sought legal protection for their identities.

(ISTOCKPHOTO)

From Bollywood star Salman Khan to cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar, and from Nutella to Taj Hotels, 2025 saw celebrities and brands alike rush to court to protect their identity from digital misuse. In 2026, that courtroom scramble is expected to make way for deliberate, proactive action.

Intellectual property lawyers and industry experts say the coming year will mark a shift from reactive litigation to structured, commercially-driven strategies, as brands and public figures rethink how identity, goodwill and reputation are owned, licensed and enforced. The cost of unchecked misuse, they say, is now simply too high.

"In 2026, proactive brand protection is likely to manifest through continuous domain and marketplace monitoring, quicker platform-level takedowns, and a stronger emphasis on trade dress," said Sanchi Sehgal, senior associate for business and legal affairs at content management firm Tulsea. This approach, she said, reflects the reality that brand harm today is often instantaneous, making prevention far more effective than post facto correction.