New Delhi: In a dramatic twist in the world of Tamil music, legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja’s copyright battle with Sony Entertainment has shifted courts.
The Supreme Court has moved the case from the Madras High Court to the Bombay High Court, escalating the fight over rights to hundreds of his iconic songs. This decision comes after years of back-and-forth litigation, leaving fans wondering who owns the melodies that defined generations.
Supreme Court ruling
The Supreme Court on Monday allowed Sony Entertainment’s plea to transfer Ilaiyaraaja Music N Management Pvt Ltd’s copyright suit from the Madras High Court to the Bombay High Court. A bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Vinod K Chandran made the decision, as reported by Live Law. Sony had argued for the shift since an earlier related suit was already filed in the Bombay High Court.
Key court arguments
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sony, urged the bench to grant the transfer, noting the prior Bombay case. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, for Ilaiyaraaja, objected to Bombay’s jurisdiction. Justice Kumar pointed out that respondents had not challenged the Bombay suit earlier, paving the way for the transfer.
Case background
The dispute stems from Sony’s 2022 Bombay High Court lawsuit seeking to stop Ilaiyaraaja’s firm from using 536 musical works. Sony claims it bought rights from Oriental Records and Echo Recording, with whom Ilaiyaraaja has had past legal issues. Last July 28, the Supreme Court rejected Ilaiyaraaja’s bid to move Sony’s Bombay suit to Madras, calling it an attempt to relitigate settled matters.
Ilaiyaraaja’s legacy
The 81-year-old maestro has composed over 7,000 songs for more than 1,000 films and performed 20,000 concerts worldwide across five decades. Earlier, the Madras High Court noted Ilaiyaraaja cannot claim sole ownership of songs without lyrics. This ongoing clash highlights tensions in music copyright in Indian cinema.