Supreme Court Transfers Ilaiyaraaja's Copyright Suit Against Sony From Madras HC To Bombay High Court

The Supreme Court today(March 23) allowed a transfer petition filed by Sony Entertainment seeking to transfer a copyright suit ed by music maestro Dr. Ilaiyaraaja in the Madras High Court to the Bombay High Court.

Sony filed a copyright infringement suit on January 13, 2022, before the Bombay High Court seeking a permanent injunction against Ilaiyaraaja to restrain him from infringing its copyrights in the sound recordings and underlying literary and musical works.

Whereas, Ilaiyaraaja instituted a similar suit on September 10, 2025, before the Madras High Court. He sought to restrain Sony Music, Echo Recording Company Ptv Lrd and Oriental Records from using, exploiting the sound recordings and musical works and has also challenged the ownership, right and title of Sony in the song recordings.

Considering that conflicting decisions may be passed by the two High Courts on the same issue, Sony approached the Supreme Court seeking to transfer the suit instituted before the Madras High Court to the Bombay High Court. 

Before a bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Vinod K Chandran, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi(for Sony) submitted that since the Bombay High Court is where the prior suit was filed, the Court may consider granting the relief. Whereas Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal (for Maestro) objected to the jurisdiction of the Bombay High Court. 

Justice Kumar suggested that the suit be transferred to Bombay as the respondents had failed to seek any relief against the institution of the suit at the Bombay High Court. 

It may be recalled that last year, Ilaiyaraaja Music N Management Pvt Ltd (IMMA) had filed a transfer petition seeking to transfer the copyright infringement suit filed against it by Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt Ltd from the Bombay High Court to the Madras High Court. A bench headed by former CJI BR Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria had dismissed the plea.

To this, Sibal responded: "I tell you, even in his suit, their agreement is that Madras High Court has the jurisdiction. He has purposely mischievously filed it the Bombay High Court. There are jurisdictional clauses that say only the Madras Court has the jurisdiction."

Sibal also made a statement that Ilaiyaraaja is not using sound recordings but his own compositions of music. He also claimed that the entire proceedings are "dishonest" therefore.

Initially, the Court reserved the order but then decided to allow the transfer petition when Sibal submitted that he would take all the issues before the Bombay High Court. The Court said that all issues are left open, including that relating to jurisdiction.

Case Details: SONY ENTERTAINMENT INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED Vs ILAIYARAAJA|T.P.(C) No. 2843/2025 Diary No. 57978 / 2025

Appearances: Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Advocates Ranjeet Rohatgi, Vaibhav Shukla, Pooja for Sony and Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal for Ilaiyaraaja