Ilaiyaraaja is one of the veteran composers in India, and he has been in the headlines regularly over his copyright petition. Now, Ilaiyaraaja has accused Sony Music Entertainment, Echo Recording, and Oriental Records in the United States of using his songs commercially without permission. He has filed a case in the Madras High Court. In his petition, Ilaiyaraaja pointed out that he has composed music for around 7,500 film songs in various languages, including Tamil and Telugu, and has been honored with various awards by the Tamil Nadu government and the Central government for this.
Ilaiyaraaja stresses protection of his 7,500 songs under copyright law
As per News 18, Ilaiyaraaja stated that his musical works are protected under copyright law and said it is important that no company is allowed to use or claim them. In particular, Sony and its social media platforms have been using its songs, and Sony has claimed to have purchased the songs from Echo. He also came forward in the case and said that he was ignoring the injunction issued by the Madras High Court.
Madras HC orders Sony to submit revenue and budget details
Senior lawyer Prabhakaran appeared for the case and stated that Sony was misusing Ilaiyaraaja’s songs and requested a ban on this. Justice N. Senthilkumar heard the case and ordered Sony to file details of the revenue earned from the commercial use of its songs and budgets. He also adjourned the full hearing of the case to October 22.
Ilaiyaraaja’s case sets a precedent for artists
For literary and musical enthusiasts, and because it is important to protect the rights of artists, this order is not personal, but sets a new precedent for the public, music companies, and the copyright law industry. Ilaiyaraaja’s case has also once again highlighted how important it is for composers to protect the rights to their songs commercially.
