Sony Music refuses to share with Ilaiyaraaja details of revenue earned by ‘exploiting’ his songs

Sony Music Entertainment India Private Limited on Wednesday (October 22, 2025) refused to share with musician R. Ilaiyaraaja the statement of accounts with respect to the revenue earned by it through the ‘commercial exploitation’ of the songs composed by him for certain movies in the past.

Appearing before Justice N. Senthilkumar of the Madras High Court, senior counsel Vijay Narayan said, his client had brought the statement of accounts to the court in a sealed cover and was ready to place it before the court for the perusal of the judge alone.

He refused to share a copy of the statement of accounts with the counsel representing the musician, by claiming confidentiality with respect to the commercial information regarding the proceeds received from platforms such as Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, and so on.

The senior counsel said, the musician would not be entitled to such commercial information unless he succeeds in establishing his legal right over the songs which he had composed for various movies after receiving due remuneration from the film producers.

On the other hand, senior counsel S. Prabakaran, appearing on behalf of Mr. Ilaiyaraaja, told the judge that the Supreme Court had time and again deprecated the practice of submitting information in sealed covers. He insisted that Sony Music must be directed to disclose the details.

After hearing both sides, Justice Senthilkumar decided not to open the sealed cover since Mr. Narayan also informed him that Sony Music had approached the Supreme Court last week for the transfer of the suit filed by Mr. Ilaiyarajaa from the Madras High Court to the Bombay High Court.

The senior counsel said, the music company had filed a civil suit before the Bombay High Court in 2021 for declaring it as the copyright holder of the songs composed by Mr. Ilaiyaraaja for certain films and to restrain him from claiming any commercial rights over them.

After four long years since that suit was filed, the musician had filed the present suit before the Madras High Court seeking exactly the converse prayers. Therefore, Sony Music had chosen to approach the Supreme Court for transferring the present suit to Bombay High Court, he added.

Mr. Narayan also said a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran of the top court had ordered notice to Mr. Ilaiyaraaja on the transfer petition on October 15, 2025, and the next hearing of the transfer plea was likely to take place on November 26, 2025.

Though the Supreme Court had not stayed the proceedings before the Madras High Court but only ordered notice to the musician, Justice Senthilkumar said, it had been practice of the High Courts to take their hands off a case until the top court takes a call on the transfer plea.

Therefore, he directed the Madras High Court Registry to list Mr. Ilaiyaraaja’s suit next on November 27, 2025, to ascertain the developments before the Supreme Court. He also decided not to open the sealed cover, containing the statement of accounts, presented by Mr. Narayan.

The judge had called for the statement during the previous hearing of the suit on September 26, 2025.