Chennai, Nov 26 (LatestNewsX) – The Madras High Court has reserved its decision on a petition filed by famed composer R. Ilaiyaraaja, who seeks to prevent Hyderabad‑based Mythri Movie Makers from airing, streaming, or showing the Tamil film “Dude” on any platform, including OTT services, because the production allegedly used two of his classic tracks without permission.
The complaint focuses on “Nooru Varusham” and “Karutha Machan,” songs Ilaiyaraaja wrote decades ago for earlier Tamil movies.
In the civil case, Ilaiyaraaja asks for a permanent injunction and a mandatory order that mandates the studio to delete all suspected unauthorized material from “Dude” and to disclose the profits earned from what he calls the wrongful exploitation of his copyrighted works.
Representing the composer, senior counsel S. Prabakaran argued that Mythri Movie Makers had repeatedly inserted Ilaiyaraaja’s music into their films without first obtaining clearance.
He noted that the same production house had already used four of the composer’s pieces in the Ajith Kumar‑starring film “Good Bad Ugly” (GBU), prompting an interim injunction in that case as well.
The studio’s continued use of two more Ilaiyaraaja songs in “Dude,” which stars Pradeep Ranganathan and Mamitha Baiju, forced the composer to petition the court again.
Justice N. Senthilkumar, who heard the arguments, remarked in a lighter tone that the trend of reusing old film music in new releases seems to be picking up, generating more copyright infringement claims.
When asked whether such reuse increases the original compositions’ popularity, the counsel said the issue lies not in fame but in the “mutilation” of the songs and unauthorized commercial gain.
He stressed the urgency for interim relief, noting that although “Dude” had finished its theatrical run, it continues to stream on an OTT platform featuring Ilaiyaraaja’s music.
Appearing for Mythri Movie Makers, senior counsel P.V. Balasubramaniam countered that the studio legitimately secured the rights from Sony Music, which currently holds the copyright to both songs.
He explained that because these tracks were composed before amendments to the Copyright Act, 1957, the film producer—not the composer—was the original owner of the copyright under the pre‑amendment regime.
Those original producers later transferred the rights to Sony Music.
When a lawyer from Sony Music attempted to present arguments, the judge declined to hear him, stating the label was not a party to the suit and therefore could not participate in the proceedings.
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