Supreme Court Transfers Ilaiyaraaja's Copyright Suit to Bombay High Court

The Supreme Court has intervened in the ongoing legal battle between revered music composer Ilaiyaraaja and Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt Ltd by transferring the copyright dispute to the Bombay High Court. This decision follows Sony Music's plea to consolidate proceedings to avoid conflicting rulings.

Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Vinod K Chandran deemed it necessary to transfer the case from the Madras High Court, where Ilaiyaraaja initially filed his suit, to Bombay High Court. Sony Music had already initiated a copyright infringement suit against Ilaiyaraaja in Bombay, seeking a permanent injunction regarding certain sound recordings.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Ilaiyaraaja, argued against the transfer citing jurisdiction clauses pointing to Madras. Despite his opposition, the Supreme Court ensured that jurisdiction and related objections could still be raised before the Bombay High Court.