The Delhi High Court has passed an order restraining veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja from exploiting sound recordings and musical works whose rights lie with the music company Saregama. 

In an ex parte ad interim order passed on February 13, Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said that irreparable loss and injury may be caused to Saregama if Ilaiyaraaja is not restrained from using the sound recordings.

The injunction would apply to music from as many as 134 films.

“Defendant [Ilaiyaraaja], its partners or proprietors, licensees, assigns, officers, servants, agents, representatives, contractors, sister concerns and any other person working for and on behalf of the defendant are restrained from exploiting/ using/ issuing licenses for the plaintiff’s Copyrighted Works i.e. the sound recordings and literary and musical works forming a part of the said Cinematograph Films enlisted in Annexure A appended to this Order or making any claim of ownership to the third parties or issuing any license for exploitation in relation to the plaintiff’s Copyrighted Works,” the Court ordered. 

Saregama and Ilaiyaraaja are already engaged in a copyright battle over the popular Tamil Song ‘En Iniya Pon Nilave’. In the said litigation, too, the High Court had ruled against the veteran musician.

Saregama approached the High Court with the present suit, arguing that between 1976 and 2001, it entered into assignment agreements with producers of several cinematograph films. Under these agreements, the copyright in the sound recordings as well as the underlying musical and literary works vested exclusively in the company on a worldwide and perpetual basis.

According to the suit, in early February 2026, Ilaiyaraaja uploaded and authorised the use of several of these works on digital streaming platforms, including Amazon Music, iTunes and JioSaavn, while also asserting ownership over them. 

Saregama further referred to a legal notice issued by the composer in January claiming rights over musical works composed by him for various films, including those forming part of the present dispute.

As per the company's plea, under Copyright Act of 1957 and the Supreme Court orders, a film producer becomes the first owner of copyright in works commissioned for a cinematograph film, unless there is a contract to the contrary.

Prima facie, Justice Gedela agreed with Saregama’s case and passed the interim order. 

Senior Advocate Chander M Lall with advocates Ankur Sangal, Ankit Arvind, Shashwat Rakshit, Rishabh Rao and Annanya Mehan appeared for Saregama.

[Read Order]