MR ILAIYARAAJA vs SAREGAMA INDIA LIMITED

Judgment text excerpt

$~ * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Reserved on: 10 February 2026 Pronounced on: 21 May 2026 + FAO(OS) (COMM) 52/2025 MR ILAIYARAAJA .....Appellant Through: Ms. Swathi Sukumar, Sr. Adv. with Mr. Naveen Nagarjuna, Mr. Ritik Raghuwanshi, Ms. Rishika Agarwal and Ms. Shrudula Murthy, Advs. versus SAREGAMA INDIA LIMITED .....Respondent Through: Mr. J. Sai Deepak, Sr Adv. with Mr. Ankur Sangal, Mr. Ankit Arvind, Mr. Shashwat Rakshit, Mr. Rishabh Rao, Advs. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C. HARI SHANKAR HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE OM PRAKASH SHUKLA % JUDGMENT 21.05.2026 C. HARI SHANKAR, J. A. The lis 1. A song is just a song, a thing of joy to lighten a dreary evening. That is, till it becomes subject matter of copyright conflict in a court of law, when it suddenly metamorphoses into much more. 2. Copyright vests, in a song, independently in the music, the FAO(OS) (COMM) 52/2025 Signature Not Verified Page 1 of 42 Digitally Signed By:AJIT KUMAR Signing Date:21.05.2026 11:02:35 lyrics, and the sound recording. It is the intricate balance between these copyrights, and their situs, with which we, in this appeal, are concerned. 3. Ilaiyaraaja, a highly respected music maker from the South, is in appeal before us, challenging judgment dated 30 January 2025 passed by a learned Single Judge of this Court in IA 1021/2025 and IA 2163/2025 in CS (Comm) 38/20251. 4. IA 1021/2025 was filed by the respondent Saregama India Limited2, as the plaintiff in the suit. By order dated 16 January 2025, ad interim relief was granted to SIL and against the defendants in the suit, namely, Vels Film International Limited3 as Defendant 1, Divo TV Private Limited4 as Defendant 2 and the appellant Ilaiyaraaja as Defendant 3. 5. IA 2163/2025 was filed by Ilaiyaraaja for vacating the stay granted by order date