The Supreme Court has refused to interfere with the Delhi High Court’s ruling in the copyright dispute involving legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja and Saregama India over the popular Tamil song ‘En Iniya Pon Nilave’ from the film Moodu Pani.
A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran declined to entertain Ilaiyaraaja’s challenge to the Delhi High Court’s decision. The High Court had held that while Ilaiyaraaja retained copyright in the musical composition, he did not own the copyright in the song’s lyrics or sound recording.
Supreme Court on Song Copyright
The case involved the legal distinction between different components of a film song. The courts have treated the musical composition, lyrics and sound recording as separate copyright interests.
Ilaiyaraaja, as the composer, retains copyright in the musical work of En Iniya Pon Nilave. However, the Delhi High Court held that the copyright in the sound recording associated with the film Moodu Pani belonged to Saregama, following an assignment from the original producer.
The High Court also held that Ilaiyaraaja could not claim copyright over the lyrics or assign the sound-recording rights to another party. The Supreme Court has now declined to interfere with that ruling.
Dispute Over Recreated Version
The legal dispute arose after a recreated version of ‘En Iniya Pon Nilave’ was proposed for use in the film Aghathiyaa. Saregama objected, claiming rights over the relevant sound recording. Ilaiyaraaja had challenged the restrictions imposed by the Delhi High Court.
The Delhi High Court’s May 2026 ruling upheld an injunction in favour of Saregama, while also making clear that the composer’s independent copyright in the underlying musical composition remained intact.
What the Verdict Means
The Supreme Court’s decision leaves the Delhi High Court ruling in place. In practical terms, the judgment distinguishes between copyright in the musical composition and copyright in the sound recording and lyrics.
Therefore, Ilaiyaraaja continues to have copyright in the musical component of En Iniya Pon Nilave, while the sound-recording rights recognised by the courts remain with Saregama India.
The ruling provides an important legal clarification on copyright ownership in film songs, particularly where the composer, lyricist, producer and music label may hold separate rights.
