In a significant development in a long-running copyright dispute, the Delhi High Court has passed an interim order in favour of music label Saregama India Ltd., restraining legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja from broadcasting or communicating songs from 134 films until further orders.
The order was passed by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, who observed that while Ilaiyaraaja continues to hold rights over his original musical compositions, those rights do not automatically extend to the sound recordings incorporated into cinematograph films. According to the court, the copyright in such sound recordings rests with the producer and, where assigned, with Saregama.
As per the court’s observations, Ilaiyaraaja’s rights under the Copyright Act are limited to the musical work itself, which refers to the composition independent of the lyrics and the sound recording. The court noted that these rights cannot be interpreted as ownership over the complete film soundtrack.
The dispute arose after Saregama claimed that it had acquired copyright ownership through assignment agreements signed with producers of several films between 1976 and 2001. The company argued that these agreements transferred the rights in the sound recordings, along with the underlying musical and literary works featured in those films.
Saregama further alleged that it recently discovered the songs being made available on multiple digital streaming platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple iTunes and JioSaavn, and claimed that Ilaiyaraaja had also asserted ownership over the content available on these services.
While considering the matter, the High Court observed that there was no dispute regarding the broadcasting of songs forming part of the films listed in the suit. The court stated that, on a prima facie basis, such use appeared to amount to copyright infringement in relation to the disputed sound recordings.
The interim order applies to 134 films spanning several decades of Ilaiyaraaja’s celebrated career. Among the notable titles covered are Annakkili (1976), 16 Vayathiniley (1977), Mullum Malarum (1978), Netrikkann (1981) and Raaja Paarvai (1981).
The matter will now proceed before the Delhi High Court, where the copyright claims of both parties will be examined further before a final decision is reached.
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