Delhi High Court restrains Ilaiyaraaja from exploiting Saregama's sound recordings and musical works

The move comes after Saregama sued Ilaiyaraaja for uploading its coprighted musical works on digital streaming platforms.

Award-winning composer Ilaiyaraaja has fallen into legal trouble after music label Saregama sued him for uploading its copyrighted musical works on digital streaming platforms like Amazon Music, iTunes and JioSaavn. As per the latest update from news agency ANI, the order was passed by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela on February 13, while hearing a commercial suit filed by the music label. It restrained the composer from exploiting or licensing certain copyrighted sound recordings and musical works claimed by the company.

Ilaiyaraaja has been restrained by the Delhi High Court. (PTI)

Saregama vs Ilaiyaraaja

The report states that Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said that irreparable loss and injury may be caused to Saregama if Ilaiyaraaja is not restrained from using the sound recordings.

Meanwhile, Bar and Bench stated the court order. It read, “Defendant [Ilaiyaraaja], its partners or proprietors, licensees, assigns, officers, servants, agents, representatives, contractors, sister concerns and any other person working for and on behalf of the defendant are restrained from exploiting/ using/ issuing licenses for the plaintiff’s Copyrighted Works i.e. the sound recordings and literary and musical works forming a part of the said Cinematograph Films enlisted in Annexure A appended to this Order or making any claim of ownership to the third parties or issuing any license for exploitation in relation to the plaintiff’s Copyrighted Works."

What was Saregama's plea?

In its argument, Saregama opined that between 1976 and 2001, it entered into assignment agreements with producers of several cinematograph films. On the basis of these agreements, the copyright in the sound recordings, as well as the underlying musical and literary works, vested exclusively in the company on a worldwide, perpetual basis.

Ilaiyaraaja uploaded and authorised the use of several of these works on digital streaming platforms, including Amazon Music, iTunes and JioSaavn in February. He went ahead and asserted ownership over them. According to the company's plea, under the Copyright Act of 1957 and the Supreme Court orders, a film producer becomes the first owner of copyright in works commissioned for a cinematograph film, unless there is a contract to the contrary.

The veteran music composer is known for composing for over 1,400 films across a variety of languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, and Marathi. He has won multiple National Film Awards for Best Music Direction, including for Sagara Sangamam (1984), Sindhu Bhairavi (1986), and Rudraveena (1989).