4 months ago
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Sun TV Network Limited has approached the Madras High Court with a plea to modify an interim injunction obtained by acclaimed instrumentalist R. Ilaiyaraaja successful a John Doe suit (a lawsuit filed against chartless entities, too named entities) filed by him to support his property rights.
Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy has granted clip till January 21 for the musician’s counsel A. Saravanan to get instructions connected the modification applications filed by Sun TV Network arsenic good arsenic euphony statement Music Masters Audio Video LLP, based successful Chennai.
The justice besides extended to the adjacent day of proceeding the injunction granted by different judge, Justice N. Senthilkumar, connected November 21, 2025, injuncting each known and chartless entities/individuals from exploiting the musician’s name, image, photographs, and dependable for commercial/personal purposes without his consent.
Mr. Ilaiyarajaa had filed the property rights suit against named entities specified arsenic Amazon, Saavn Media, YouTube, Gaana, Apple Music, Five Star Audio, Sun TV Network, Music Master, Star Vijay TV, Indian Record Manufacturing Limited, Zee Entertainment, Meta Platforms, Sony Music, and different chartless entities.
In an affidavit, filed done its counsel Rahul Balaji, Sun TV Network told the tribunal that though the musician’s halfway lawsuit was not without immoderate merit, the broad interim injunction obtained by him was overboard and earnestly impairs the tv network’s quality to commercially exploit its lawfully acquired copyrights.
The tv web said, if the broad interim injunction was not modified, it would forestall the institution from creating adjacent morganatic compilations of the songs composed by Mr. Ilaiyaraaja and springiness due attribution to him, though helium had not levelled immoderate circumstantial allegation against the web successful his plaint.
Stating it was 1 of the starring media and amusement conglomerates successful Asia, operating arsenic galore arsenic 37 tv channels and 69 FM vigor stations, the tv web said, it had acquired broadcast and connection rights successful a immense catalogue of songs composed by the musician.
The web said, it continuously broadcasts those songs done the tv channels and vigor stations done curated programme strands, taxable nights and ‘Ilaiyaraaja Specials’ often astir festivals, weekends, and connected occasions specified arsenic his day oregon anniversaries of iconic films.
The tribunal was besides told the web ever ensures a wide on-air attribution to the plaintiff arsenic a composer of those songs and besides by including his sanction and representation successful the programme titles, on-screen graphics and anchors’ introductions successful bid to springiness owed designation to him for his works.
Further, claiming the tv web had expanded the scope of the musician’s works and popularised them among successive generations of Tamil diaspora dispersed crossed the satellite successful the past 3 decades, the institution said, it treats his euphony arsenic a substance of taste pridefulness and not simply arsenic an inventory.
“Sun TV’s signifier of naming him successful programme titles and on-air graphics fulfils and furthers the plaintiff’s close to attribution, alternatively than infringing it,” the web said and urged the High Court to suitably modify the interim injunction bid truthful that it does not forestall lawful exploitation of copyrights acquired by the company.
