Sony Music declines to share revenue details with Ilaiyaraaja, cites confidentiality in Madras HC
Chennai, Oct 22 –
In a fresh move in the ongoing legal battle between famed composer R. Il Ilaiyaraaja and Sony Music Entertainment India, the Mumbai‐based label declined to hand over the singer’s requested accounts showing how much he earned from streaming services.
The dispute was heard before Justice N. Senthilkumar at the Madras High Court. Sony’s senior lawyer Vijay Narayan told the judge that the company had prepared the financial statement inside a sealed envelope for the court, but it could not give the file to Ilaiyaraaja or his counsel. “The document contains confidential commercial data—revenues from Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify and other platforms,” he said. He added that the composer could only request these details after proving his legal ownership of the songs, which he argues were originally paid for by film producers.
Ilaiyaraaja’s lawyer, S. Prabakaran, countered that the Supreme Court has previously ruled that sealed‑cover submissions are improper. He urged the court to compel Sony to disclose the record, arguing that withholding it hurt transparency in the case.
Justice Senthilkumar upheld Sony’s stance and decided not to open the sealed envelope at this stage. He noted that Sony has asked the Supreme Court to move Ilaiyaraaja’s suit from the Madras High Court to the Bombay High Court. That case, filed in 2021, seeks to establish Sony as the rightful copyright holder of certain songs and to stop the composer from demanding commercial royalties.
Narayan told the court that the Supreme Court, with Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran on its bench, issued notice to Ilaiyaraaja on Oct 15 2025. The transfer petition will be heard on Nov 26 2025. Justice Senthilkumar said High Courts normally pause pending such decisions from the apex court.
The judge therefore scheduled Ilaiyaraaja’s next hearing for Nov 27 2025, after the Supreme Court decides on the transfer request. The sealed statement will remain closed until then.
Source: ianslive
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