2 min readKochiFeb 17, 2026 03:01 PM IST
In a significant setback for music maestro Ilaiyaraaja, the Delhi High Court has restrained him from “exploiting or licensing” certain copyrighted musical works that belong to Saregama India Limited. The court passed the order recently while hearing a commercial suit filed by the music label, concerning compositions from as many as 134 films.
The HC granted an ex parte ad interim injunction in favour of Saregama after considering the music label’s arguments that it owned copyrights to several musical compositions across various Indian languages, pursuant to agreements entered into with film producers between 1976 and 2001, news agency ANI reported. Saregama further alleged that Ilaiyaraaja has been granting licenses to third parties and uploading songs on platforms such as Amazon Music, iTunes, and JioSaavn since February 2026, while also claiming ownership over the works.
Pointing out that film producers are considered the first owners of musical compositions under the Copyright Act, in the absence of a contract stating otherwise, the music label alleged that Ilaiyaraaja’s actions constituted infringement and created confusion about Saregama’s legal title to the recordings. After considering the matter in depth, the High Court noted that Saregama made out a prima facie case and added that continued exploitation could cause “irreparable loss that may not be compensable monetarily.” The court then issued the order and directed the defendant to file a written statement within 30 days. The court will hear the matter further on April 2, 2026.
One of the most celebrated film music composers in the world, Ilaiyaraaja has worked in several Indian languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi. In a career spanning almost five decades, he has composed over 8,600 songs for approximately 1,523 feature films. Ilaiyaraaja’s legal battles over copyright violations are also well known, and he has taken many to task for using his songs and music in films and live performances without prior permission.
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