SC upholds Delhi HC ruling on Ilaiyaraaja's copyright dispute
What's the story
The Supreme Court of India has declined to interfere with a Delhi High Court ruling that Ilaiyaraaja does not hold the copyright in the lyrics and sound recording of En Iniya Pon Nilave from the Tamil film Moodu Pani. The High Court had earlier held that rights in the sound recording of this song rested with music label Saregama. This ruling was upheld by a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran on Thursday.
Dispute background
Legal battle began when Vels Film International recreated song
The legal battle began when Vels Film International Ltd recreated En Iniya Pon Nilave for its film Aghathiyaa, claiming it had obtained the necessary rights from Ilaiyaraaja.
However, Saregama opposed this, asserting that it owned the copyright for the original sound recording due to an assignment from the film's producer.
Copyright clarification
Delhi High Court's ruling on the matter
The Delhi High Court had earlier ruled that Ilaiyaraaja retained copyright only in the musical work, the tune or composition, not in the song's sound recording or lyrics.
It also held that he could not have assigned rights to Vels Film International that he himself did not own.
This led to an injunction against using the recreated version of En Iniya Pon Nilave in Aghathiyaa.
Legal proceedings
Ilaiyaraaja argued he was 1st owner of copyright
Ilaiyaraaja argued that, as composer and author of the musical work, he was the first owner of the copyright in the composition, and that Section 13(4) of the Copyright Act, 1957 protected his independent copyright even after it was incorporated into a cinematograph film.
Aghathiyaa's producers, however, relied on rights allegedly obtained from him and contended he was entitled to license adaptation under Section 14(a)(vi) of the Act.
The High Court dismissed his review petition on May 26.