Ilaiyaraaja v/s Dude : OTT Release Delayed / Pressure Tatics ?

The copyright case filed by Ilaiyaraaja against Mythiri Movie Makers the Producer of Sude will delay the release on OTT. Good Bad and Ugly which hot released on NetFlix was removed through a court order over Ilaiyaraaja copyright case. While the theatrical run continues to flourish, Netflix has acquired the OTT rights for Dude, reportedly securing the film for around Rs 20 crore. According to TOI report, the platform is expected to release the movie on November 14, potentially offering it in multiple languages beyond the Tamil and Telugu versions that premiered in theatres. From my sources, Director Adhik and keertherswaran approached Illayraja legal team to give NOC for months and Illayaraja team kept delaying the NOC . Makers already agreed to give royalty to owner of song which is legally music labels which owned the audio rights. Generally music lables gives royalty to authors of the song ie Music director and Lyricists and finally post 2012 even singers of song got the status of author. Law also made it clear it is duty of owner of song to share the royalties of the song to authors if the song is used by someone for commercial purpose. So process is producers approach music label for song usage for commercial basis. They negotiate a price and agree on terms. Music label then pay royalties to author of songs as per legal terms . Producers no way are obligated to take permissions or get NOC from author. However Illayaraja legal team claims they never signed any legal terms to music label. About reuse of their song in any format… Back then (When these songs were made ) no such legal clauses existed which is grey area. AR Rahman from 1990s was first to include this clause legally . It is only then other music directors including Illayaraja started including the same clause. ________________________________________ So Producers are not obligated to ask Illayaraja an NOC or pay him royalty directly Illayaraja legal counsel are playing with one grey area.. If you observe all legal cases of Illayaraja copyright claims happen in Madras Highcourt where Judge out of respect to illayaraja gives injunction leaving Illayaraja and Producers to settle off the court. Ut all started with Manjummel Boys. They settled outside court. Mythri was different Mythri decided to not settle. They made money all they wanted already so they decided to fight out. GBU case was not setback where they lost . Court just gave interjection asking movie to be be stalled in OTT unless Illayaraja gives NOC. They are fighting it out to put an end of blackmailing technique of Illayaraja . Mythri is challenging them in different way. And Dude is actually building their case. The copyright case filed by Ilaiyaraaja against Mythiri Movie Makers the Producer of Sude will delay the release on OTT. Good Bad and Ugly which hot released on NetFlix was removed through a court order over Ilaiyaraaja copyright case. While the theatrical run continues to flourish, Netflix has acquired the OTT rights for Dude, reportedly securing the film for around Rs 20 crore. According to TOI report, the platform is expected to release the movie on November 14, potentially offering it in multiple languages beyond the Tamil and Telugu versions that premiered in theatres. From my sources, Director Adhik and keertherswaran approached Illayraja legal team to give NOC for months and Illayaraja team kept delaying the NOC . Makers already agreed to give royalty to owner of song which is legally music labels which owned the audio rights. Generally music lables gives royalty to authors of the song ie Music director and Lyricists and finally post 2012 even singers of song got the status of author. Law also made it clear it is duty of owner of song to share the royalties of the song to authors if the song is used by someone for commercial purpose. So process is producers approach music label for song usage for commercial basis. They negotiate a price and agree on terms. Music label then pay royalties to author of songs as per legal terms . Producers no way are obligated to take permissions or get NOC from author. However Illayaraja legal team claims they never signed any legal terms to music label. About reuse of their song in any format… Back then (When these songs were made ) no such legal clauses existed which is grey area. AR Rahman from 1990s was first to include this clause legally . It is only then other music directors including Illayaraja started including the same clause. ________________________________________ So Producers are not obligated to ask Illayaraja an NOC or pay him royalty directly Illayaraja legal counsel are playing with one grey area.. If you observe all legal cases of Illayaraja copyright claims happen in Madras Highcourt where Judge out of respect to illayaraja gives injunction leaving Illayaraja and Producers to settle off the court. Ut all started with Manjummel Boys. They settled outside court. Mythri was different Mythri decided to not settle. They made money all they wanted already so they decided to fight out. GBU case was not setback where they lost . Court just gave interjection asking movie to be be stalled in OTT unless Illayaraja gives NOC. They are fighting it out to put an end of blackmailing technique of Illayaraja . Mythri is challenging them in different way. And Dude is actually building their case. The copyright case filed by Ilaiyaraaja against Mythiri Movie Makers the Producer of Sude will delay the release on OTT. Good Bad and Ugly which hot released on NetFlix was removed through a court order over Ilaiyaraaja copyright case. While the theatrical run continues to flourish, Netflix has acquired the OTT rights for Dude, reportedly securing the film for around Rs 20 crore. According to TOI report, the platform is expected to release the movie on November 14, potentially offering it in multiple languages beyond the Tamil and Telugu versions that premiered in theatres. From my sources, Director Adhik and keertherswaran approached Illayraja legal team to give NOC for months and Illayaraja team kept delaying the NOC . Makers already agreed to give royalty to owner of song which is legally music labels which owned the audio rights. Generally music lables gives royalty to authors of the song ie Music director and Lyricists and finally post 2012 even singers of song got the status of author. Law also made it clear it is duty of owner of song to share the royalties of the song to authors if the song is used by someone for commercial purpose. So process is producers approach music label for song usage for commercial basis. They negotiate a price and agree on terms. Music label then pay royalties to author of songs as per legal terms . Producers no way are obligated to take permissions or get NOC from author. However Illayaraja legal team claims they never signed any legal terms to music label. About reuse of their song in any format… Back then (When these songs were made ) no such legal clauses existed which is grey area. AR Rahman from 1990s was first to include this clause legally . It is only then other music directors including Illayaraja started including the same clause.

________________________________________ So Producers are not obligated to ask Illayaraja an NOC or pay him royalty directly Illayaraja legal counsel are playing with one grey area.. If you observe all legal cases of Illayaraja copyright claims happen in Madras Highcourt where Judge out of respect to illayaraja gives injunction leaving Illayaraja and Producers to settle off the court. Ut all started with Manjummel Boys. They settled outside court. Mythri was different Mythri decided to not settle. They made money all they wanted already so they decided to fight out. GBU case was not setback where they lost . Court just gave interjection asking movie to be be stalled in OTT unless Illayaraja gives NOC. They are fighting it out to put an end of blackmailing technique of Illayaraja . Mythri is challenging them in different way. And Dude is actually building their case. The heart of the issue Unlike A.R. Rahman, who explicitly included clauses to retain copyright in his early contracts, Ilayaraja often did not have such provisions in his agreements with producers between the 1970s and 1990s. As a result, film producers and music companies like Echo Recording and Sony Music claim that they acquired the copyright to these songs. Ilayaraja maintains that he has always retained the copyright, and any agreements with producers only constituted a license for a specific use, such as for audio cassettes. He has consistently fought to defend his creative ownership and ensure that his economic and moral rights as the original composer are protected. The outcome of these ongoing legal battles will significantly impact the rights and royalties of music composers in the Indian film industry. Case against Dude movie makers: In October 2025, Ilayaraja sued the makers of the Tamil film Dude for using two of his songs, "Karutha Machan" from Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu (1991), without permission. The Madras High Court permitted Ilayaraja to proceed with the legal action against Mythri Movie Makers, Sony Music, and other involved parties.