Ilaiyaraja: TV, YouTube can't use my songs without paying me
Maestro Illayaraja says it's illegal for television channels and radio stations to play his songs without paying him.
Maestro Illayaraja, who has the rights to all the songs that he has composed in over 1,000 films, says it's illegal for television channels and radio stations to play them without paying him.
"The (Madras) High Court has ordered that my songs cannot be downloaded or sold through CDs or any other means. Henceforth, without getting the rights from me none should use my songs. It's an infringement of my intellectual property rights," he said.
The Madras High Court had yesterday made absolute the interim injunction granted by it against five audio recording companies from making and selling film music compositions of the music director violating his copyright.
He also said it's illegal to share his songs on video-sharing sites such as YouTube and Daily Motion.
"Those who want the rights to my songs may approach me or the producer's council," he added.
Ilayaraja, 71, had filed a petition seeking to restrain Agi Music private Limited, Echo Recording Company Private Limited, Unisys Info Solutions Private Limited, Agi Music sdn bhd, Malaysia and Giri Trading Company, Mumbai, from manufacturing and selling, distributing or in any manner infringing his exclusive right under the Copyright Act-1957.
The veteran musician has composed music for about 4500 songs since 1970 in various languages, with many of them being chartbusters.
With inputs from PTI