Delhi High Court Bars Ilaiyaraaja from Licensing 134 Film Songs Amidst Saregama Copyright Dispute

In a significant development for the Indian music industry, the Delhi High Court has issued an ad interim injunction against legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja, restraining him from exploiting or licensing songs from 134 films. The ruling, delivered by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela on July 1, 2026, favors music label Saregama India Ltd., which claims ownership of the copyrights for these songs. The dispute centers on the distinction between copyright over musical compositions and that over sound recordings in cinematograph films. Saregama asserted that it acquired the copyrights to the sound recordings, as well as the underlying literary and musical works, from 134 films produced between 1976 and 2001 through assignment agreements with the original film producers. The company initiated legal action after discovering Ilaiyaraaja had begun uploading several of these songs to digital streaming services like Amazon Music, iTunes, and JioSaavn, and was also attempting to license them to third parties. Ilaiyaraaja had previously issued a legal notice in January 2026, claiming ownership of all musical works he composed, arranged, and orchestrated throughout his career. The Delhi High Court, in its interim order, relied on the Supreme Court's 1977 judgment in the Indian Performing Right Society Ltd. v. Eastern Indian Motion Pictures Association case. This precedent established that unless specifically contracted otherwise, a music composer or lyricist commissioned by a film producer does not retain independent copyright in the work. The court emphasized that while Ilaiyaraaja continues to hold copyright over his musical *compositions*, these rights do not extend to the *sound recordings* of the songs incorporated into films, where copyright primarily vests with the film producer and subsequently, through assignment, with Saregama. This interim decision has broad implications for copyright ownership in the Indian film and music sectors, highlighting the complex legal framework governing creative works in a digital age. The injunction will remain in effect pending the final outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings.