Ilaiyaraaja-Sony Music Copyright Row: SC Hearing Set for July 18

Fast Summary

• Supreme Court Deferral: The Supreme Court deferred the hearing of music composer Ilaiyaraaja’s plea to transfer a copyright dispute from the Bombay High Court to the Madras High Court. The hearing is now scheduled for July 18, 2025.
• Case Background: sony Music Entertainment India filed a lawsuit before Bombay High Court in 2022 seeking an injunction against Ilaiyaraaja Music N Management Pvt Ltd (IMMPL) from using 536 musical works.
• Sony’s Claim: Sony alleges it acquired rights over these compositions through Oriental Records and Echo Recording, entities involved in litigation with Ilaiyaraaja for years.
• IMMPL Counterargument: IMMPL claims that out of the disputed works, 310 are already subject to a parallel case under review at Madras High Court since 2014. That case challenges Echo recording’s ownership claims and seeks recognition of Ilaiyaraaja’s moral and economic rights under India’s Copyright Act.
• Previous Ruling: A landmark judgment by Madras High Court in 2019 upheld Ilaiyaraaja’s special and moral rights as a composer regarding his artistic creations.

indian Opinion Analysis

The ongoing legal dispute involving legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja underscores critical issues around copyright law enforcement and artistic ownership within India’s entertainment industry. Due to simultaneous cases across both Bombay and Madras high courts, this plea for case consolidation reflects concerns about judicial efficiency when handling complex intellectual property matters. The situation also brings attention to disputes between artists-whose contributions often define cultural identities-and corporate bodies asserting control over creative outputs.

India’s evolving legal landscape around copyrights aims to safeguard creators’ economic interests while balancing ownership claims by third parties holding commercial licenses. With its potential ruling on jurisdictional overlap or transfer, this Supreme court decision could establish precedence impacting future copyright conflicts in India’s music industry-a sector that remains vital not only culturally but economically.

For more details, visit The Hindu.
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