Ilaiyaraaja's Legal Battle: Copyright Clash Moves to Madras

The Supreme Court postponed a hearing on Ilaiyaraaja's appeal to relocate a copyright dispute from the Bombay High Court to the Madras High Court until July 18. The decision comes amid a legal battle initiated by Sony Music Entertainment India, which seeks to prevent IMMPL from using 536 songs.

Sony argues it has rights to these compositions through previous agreements, but IMMPL counters that a significant portion of the disputed works is already under legal review in a separate case in Madras. The conflict focuses on the assertion of Ilaiyaraaja's moral and economic rights over his creations.

The Madras case, originating in 2014 against Echo Recording, resulted in a 2019 judgment affirming Ilaiyaraaja's rights as a composer. As one of India's most prolific musicians, his catalog reflects a contentious struggle over intellectual property in the music industry.

(With inputs from agencies.)