Delhi HC Bars Ilaiyaraaja from Using Saregama Copyrighted Works

The Delhi High Court has ordered legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja to stop using or claiming ownership of certain sound recordings and musical works owned by music label Saregama. This decision comes after Saregama accused Ilaiyaraaja of copyright infringement for uploading and licensing their tracks on streaming platforms like Amazon Music and JioSaavn.

Saregama holds exclusive global rights to these sound recordings and underlying musical and literary works through assignment agreements made with film producers between 1976 and 2001. The court agreed that letting Ilaiyaraaja use these songs could cause "irreparable loss" to Saregama. This isn't the first copyright clash between the composer and the music label, with Ilaiyaraaja suffering a setback in a previous case involving the song "En Iniya Pon Nilave". 

The court cited the Copyright Act of 1957, stating that a film producer is the first owner of copyright in works commissioned for a cinematograph film unless stated otherwise in a contract. Saregama's rights were based on assignment agreements with these producers. Ilaiyaraaja uploaded and authorized the use of several of these works on digital streaming platforms, leading to legal proceedings in February. 

Ilaiyaraaja is one of India's most prolific music composers, having worked on over 1,400 films in various languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, and Marathi. He has won several National Film Awards for Best Music Direction for films such as Sagara Sangamam (1984), Sindhu Bhairavi (1985), and Rudraveena (1988). The court has directed Ilaiyaraaja to file a written statement within 30 days, and the next hearing is scheduled for April 2, 2026.