Madras HC Allows Ilaiyaraaja to Sue Over Music Use in Dude

Legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja has been granted permission by the Madras High Court to proceed with a lawsuit alleging unauthorized use of his music in the Tamil film Dude, the court heard during a hearing on October 22. The petition names the film’s producers and three music companies, including Sony Music Entertainment India, and the next hearing is scheduled for November 19 before Justice N. Senthilkumar.

Ilaiyaraaja’s lawyers told the court that two of his compositions, including the 1991 song Karutha Machan from Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu, were used in Dude without the composer’s authorization. The complaint says the track appears in a sequence in the film and contends that the music companies continued to exploit the songs commercially despite lacking rights from the composer. The legal action targets the production house behind Dude as well as music labels that control distribution and licensing of recordings.

At the hearing, senior advocate S. Prabhakaran, representing Ilaiyaraaja, said the composer maintained he had not given permission for the use or alteration of his works. Counsel for the music label told the court that the company would file a response; the label had...