For years, the question of who truly owns a film song in India has remained one of the biggest debates in the music industry. Is it the composer who creates the tune, the producer who bankrolls the film, or the music label that acquires the rights? Legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja has been at the centre of that debate over the last few years, and now the Delhi High Court has delivered another significant ruling in the long-running legal battle with Saregama.
The High Court has refused to vacate the interim injunction granted in favour of Saregama, meaning Ilaiyaraaja will continue to be restrained from exploiting, licensing or claiming ownership over songs and musical works from 134 films until the copyright suit reaches its final conclusion. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela declined the composer's plea, allowing the earlier order passed in February this year to remain in force.
The dispute began after Saregama alleged that Ilaiyaraaja was commercially exploiting songs from films whose audio rights had been legally assigned to the company by the original producers. According to Saregama, the composer also issued notices claiming ownership over these works and attempted to license them despite the company holding the copyright through assignment agreements signed decades ago. The case covers music from several iconic films including 16 Vayathiniley, Annakkili, Mullum Malarum, Netrikkann, Raaja Paarvai, Kalyanaraman and many more.
This is the second major setback for Ilaiyaraaja in recent months. In May, a Division Bench of the Delhi High Court, while deciding the 'En Iniya Pon Nilave' dispute, clarified that although Ilaiyaraaja remains the author and owner of the musical composition, he does not own the lyrics or the sound recording once those rights have been validly assigned by the film's producer to a music label like Saregama. The latest ruling further strengthens Saregama's position until the main suit is finally decided.
The final verdict is expected to have far-reaching implications for India's film and music industries. Beyond Ilaiyaraaja and Saregama, the case could become a landmark precedent in determining the rights of composers, producers and music labels over songs created for cinema, potentially shaping how copyright disputes are resolved in the future.
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