Chennai’s two live music events face legal hurdles over licensing
requirements. The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd.  has obtained an order from
the Madras High Court in a copyright infringement suit against TVK Cultural Academy
 an event organiser in Chennai. The dispute stems from a series of live events
organised by TVK across Chennai, where musical works from IPRS’s repertoire were performed
without obtaining the requisite licences.
The Madras High Court, by its interim order dated April 29, 2026, directed the event organiser,
TVK, to pay the License fee for the events namely “Isai Kondattam” (scheduled for May 03,
2026) and Nothing But Rajaa (scheduled for May 24, 2026), or be restrained from organising
the events as scheduled. The Court noted that both events were being organised without
payment of the statutory licence fee to the Copyright Society. The judgment will also benefit the
legal heirs of legendary creators such as Vaalee and Veturi Sundararama Murthy, whose works
continue to hold immense cultural and commercial value, further reinforcing the importance of
protecting creators’ rights and ensuring fair royalty distribution.
Rakesh Nigam, CEO, IPRS commented – This order is another important step towards
building a more compliant and equitable music ecosystem in India, where the rights of creators
are not treated as optional, but as an integral part of doing business responsibly. Live events
derive immense commercial and cultural value from music, and it is important that the lyricists,
composers and publishers behind these works are recognised within that value chain. At IPRS,
our approach has always been to engage, educate and encourage voluntary compliance across
industries. Legal intervention is pursued only when repeated efforts towards lawful licensing do
not yield resolution. The Hon’ble Madras High Court’s order reinforces a broader industry
message that creator rights and fair licensing are fundamental to the long-term sustainability and
credibility of India’s entertainment and live music economy.
Additionally, Mr. Rakshit Talwar Head of Public Performance, IPRS said - Music is one of
the primary drivers of audience engagement and commercial value in live events, and its use
cannot be treated as a procedural formality. The Hon’ble Madras High Court’s order reinforces
the importance of prior authorisation for copyrighted music and encourages greater awareness
and compliance across the live entertainment ecosystem.
IPRS is India’s only registered copyright society for musical works and literary works associated
with musical works with a membership of more than 20,000 composers, lyricists, and music
publishers, its roster includes iconic names such as A.R. Rahman, Javed Akhtar and Gulzar,
along with leading music companies like Saregama, Sony Music and T-Series.