The Madras High Court has directed Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt Ltd to submit details regarding the revenue earned from the commercial use of music composed by Ilaiyaraaja.
Ilaiyaraaja, the renowned music composer and Rajya Sabha member, had filed a case in the Madras High Court against Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt Ltd and Oriental Records, a subsidiary of Echo Recording Company in the USA.
In his petition, he stated that he has composed music for around 7,500 film songs in Tamil, Telugu, and various other languages. He also highlighted that both the Tamil Nadu and Central governments have honoured his musical contributions with several awards.
He asserted that his musical works are recognised under copyright law and that he alone is the rightful owner of his compositions. No one else has the authority to claim rights over them or use them without his consent.
He further alleged that several media outlets, websites, music companies, and platforms have been using his songs without permission, which is a violation of copyright law. Specifically, he accused Sony of altering and using his songs across its social media platforms in various forms without his consent.
Ilaiyaraaja pointed out that although Sony claims to have purchased the songs from Echo Recording Company, there is already a court order from the Madras High Court restraining such use. Yet, Sony and its affiliates continue to exploit his works unlawfully, he said.
He emphasised that under copyright law, the original creator of a work has the first and exclusive right over it. He has never transferred or assigned these rights to anyone. Therefore, Sony and its associated companies must be barred from altering his songs or creating compilations using them. He also demanded that Sony be directed to submit details of the revenue it has earned from exploiting his songs.
The case came up for hearing before Justice N Senthilkumar. Senior advocate Prabhakaran, appearing on behalf of Ilaiyaraaja, argued that Sony has been wrongfully profiting from his songs and urged the court to impose a ban.
Following the submissions, the judge ordered Sony to submit complete details of the income and expenditure related to the commercial use of Ilaiyaraaja’s songs and adjourned the hearing to October 22.
