Ilaiyaraaja’s legal battle over the iconic En Iniya Pon Nilave has taken another turn, with the Supreme Court refusing to interfere with the Delhi High Court’s decision in the copyright dispute.
The case goes back to the attempt to recreate the popular song from Moodu Pani. What followed was a legal fight over a question that sounds simple but is actually quite complicated, who owns which part of a song?
The Delhi High Court had already drawn a clear line between the musical composition, lyrics and sound recording. Ilaiyaraaja continues to have copyright in the musical work, but the court held that the rights over the original sound recording and lyrics did not vest with him in the manner claimed. Saregama’s rights over the original sound recording were upheld.
Ilaiyaraaja subsequently challenged the findings, arguing that his claim was limited to the musical work and that the sound recording issue was being interpreted too broadly. His review plea was also rejected by the Delhi High Court in May.
Now, the Supreme Court has declined to interfere with that decision. During the hearing, Justice J.B. Pardiwala reportedly questioned why the parties were continuing the fight, asking, “Why are you all fighting unnecessarily?”
Interestingly, Ilaiyaraaja’s side also told the Bench that three other lawsuits had subsequently been filed based on the findings under challenge.
So, this is not simply a case of Ilaiyaraaja losing ownership of his famous composition. The legal distinction between the music he composed and the original recording containing that music remains central to the dispute.
For now, the Supreme Court has chosen not to reopen the Delhi High Court’s position, giving Saregama’s stand another layer of legal protection in the long-running battle.
