SC refuses to interfere with Delhi HC ruling against composer Ilaiyaraaja

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere with a Delhi High Court ruling that music composer Ilaiyaraaja did not hold the copyright over the lyrics and sound recording of the song "En Iniya Pon Nilave" from the Tamil film "Moodu Pani".

A bench of justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran refused to entertain the appeal filed by Ilaiyaraaja against the high court verdict of May 26 in favour of music label Saregama.

The dispute pertaining to copyright over the song arose after a production house used a recreated version of the song in a film, claiming that it has got the licence from Ilaiyaraaja.

Saregama objected to it saying it had taken the rights over the song through an assignment from the original producer of "Moodu Pani".

The Delhi High Court eventually held that Ilaiyaraaja retained rights only in the musical component or tune of the song, not in the lyrics or sound recording.

The high court division bench upheld the ruling by a single-judge's bench on May 21.

Ilaiyaraaja then filed a review petition questioning the correctness of the high court's May 21 ruling. This review petition was dismissed by the high court on May 26.