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The Hindu
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Delhi HC stays interim order against A.R. Rahman in song copyright case
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (May 6, 2025) stayed an interim order against music composer A.R. Rahman and the makers of the film Ponniyin Selvan 2 over an alleged copyright infringement case related to the song 'Veera Raja Veera' featured in the 2023 film. A Bench of Justice C. Hari Shankar and Justice Ajay Digpaul, however, directed Mr. Rahman and the makers of the film to deposit within 10 days ₹2 crore with its registry, as directed by the Single Judge Bench April 25 order. The court posted Mr. Rahman's stay application and the appeal challenging the single judge's order on May 23. Also read | AR Rahman on Abhijeet Bhattacharya's criticism for 'overusing' technology: 'It's nice to blame me for everything' The Single Judge Bench's order came on a lawsuit by classical vocalist and Padma Shri awardee Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, who accused Mr. Rahman and the film's production houses - Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions - of unauthorised use of a classical composition titled 'Shiva Stuti', originally composed by the Junior Dagar Brothers, Late Ustad N. Faiyazuddin Dagar and Late Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar. Justice Prathiba M. Singh had held that the 'Veera Raja Veera' song is 'not merely based on or inspired from the suit composition - Shiva Stuti but is, in fact, identical to the suit composition with mere change in lyrics'. Additionally, Justice Singh had awarded ₹2 lakh as costs to Mr. Dagar, to be paid by Mr. Rahman and other defendants within four weeks. Created in 1970s According to Mr. Dagar, the 'Shiva Stuti' composition was created by his father and uncle, also known as the Junior Dagar Brothers, sometime in the 1970s. He claimed that following his father and uncle's demise in 1989 and 1994, respectively, the copyright passed to him through an oral family settlement among the legal heirs. Mr. Dagar had claimed that the composition was shared with Mr. Rahman without his knowledge or authorisation and was subsequently used in the film's soundtrack without appropriate credit.
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Business Standard
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Delhi HC stays order against A R Rahman in 'Ponniyin Selvan 2' case
Rahman, Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions were, therefore, ordered to deposit Rs 2 crore with the court to be kept in a fixed deposit subject to the final outcome of the lawsuit Press Trust of India New Delhi The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed an interim order in a copyright case against music composer A R Rahman and the makers of the film "Ponniyin Selvan 2" over a musical composition. A bench of Justices C Hari Shankar and Ajay Digpaul, however, directed Rahman and the makers of the film to deposit within 10 days Rs 2 crore with its registry, as directed by the single judge. On April 25, a high court single judge in the interim also ordered for inserting a slide in the film on all OTT and online platforms to give due credit to Junior Dagar Brothers -- Late Ustad N Faiyazuddin Dagar and Late Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar -- for the composition. The division bench stayed this direction too. Rahman's stay application and the appeal challenging the single judge's order was posted on May 23. The single judge awarded Rs 2 lakh costs to the family member of the late artists. In the interim order, the single judge ruled from a listener's point of view, the core of Rehman's song "Veera Raja Veera" in the film was "not just inspired but is, in fact, identical" in notes, emotion and aural impact to the "Shiva Stuti". It was in violation of the rights of the original composers of the musical tribute to Lord Shiva, his order added. Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, the son of Faiyazuddin Dagar and nephew of Zahiruddin Dagar, contended in the lawsuit that he held the copyright in all original compositions of Junior Dagar Brothers, including "Shiva Stuti", which the defendants had unlawfully infringed upon. "In the ultimate analysis, therefore, this court holds that the impugned song is not merely based on or inspired from the suit composition Shiva Stuti but is, in fact, identical to the suit composition with mere change in lyrics. The adding of other elements may have rendered the impugned song more like a modern composition but the basic underlying musical work is identical," the single judge held. Rahman, Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions were, therefore, ordered to deposit Rs 2 crore with the court to be kept in a fixed deposit subject to the final outcome of the lawsuit. The plaintiff was found to have a prima facie case for copyright infringement by the defendants and the court observed in the absence of an interim order "irreparable injury would be caused to the creative rights and moral rights of the original composers who are no longer alive". The balance of convenience was therefore held to be in favour of the plaintiff. Rahman's counsel argued "Shiva Stuti" was based on the traditional dhrupad genre which was in the public domain, and since the manner of singing and the composition itself was not original, it was not capable of copyright protection.
NDTV
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
High Court Stays Order Against AR Rahman, 'Ponniyin Selvan 2' Makers In Copyright Case
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed an interim order in a copyright case against music composer A R Rahman and the makers of the film "Ponniyin Selvan 2" over a musical composition. A bench of Justices C Hari Shankar and Ajay Digpaul, however, directed Mr Rahman and the makers of the film to deposit within 10 days Rs 2 crore with its registry, as directed by the single judge. On April 25, a high court single judge in the interim also ordered for inserting a slide in the film on all OTT and online platforms to give due credit to Junior Dagar Brothers -- Late Ustad N Faiyazuddin Dagar and Late Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar -- for the composition. The division bench stayed this direction too. Mr Rahman's stay application and the appeal challenging the single judge's order was posted on May 23. The single judge awarded Rs 2 lakh costs to the family member of the late artists. In the interim order, the single judge ruled from a listener's point of view, the core of Rehman's song "Veera Raja Veera" in the film was "not just inspired but is, in fact, identical" in notes, emotion and aural impact to the "Shiva Stuti". It was in violation of the rights of the original composers of the musical tribute to Lord Shiva, his order added. Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, the son of Faiyazuddin Dagar and nephew of Zahiruddin Dagar, contended in the lawsuit that he held the copyright in all original compositions of Junior Dagar Brothers, including "Shiva Stuti", which the defendants had unlawfully infringed upon. "In the ultimate analysis, therefore, this court holds that the impugned song is not merely based on or inspired from the suit composition Shiva Stuti but is, in fact, identical to the suit composition with mere change in lyrics. The adding of other elements may have rendered the impugned song more like a modern composition but the basic underlying musical work is identical," the single judge held. Mr Rahman, Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions were, therefore, ordered to deposit Rs 2 crore with the court to be kept in a fixed deposit subject to the final outcome of the lawsuit. The complainant was found to have a prima facie case for copyright infringement by the defendants and the court observed in the absence of an interim order "irreparable injury would be caused to the creative rights and moral rights of the original composers who are no longer alive". The balance of convenience was therefore held to be in favour of the complainant. Mr Rahman's counsel argued "Shiva Stuti" was based on the traditional dhrupad genre which was in the public domain, and since the manner of singing and the composition itself was not original, it was not capable of copyright protection.
Scroll.in
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scroll.in
Delhi HC stays order directing AR Rahman to credit Dagar brothers in copyright case
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed an interim injunction against music composer AR Rahman in a copyright case concerning the song Veera Raja Veera from the 2023 Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan 2, reported Bar and Bench. The case was filed by Indian classical vocalist and Padma Shri awardee Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, who alleged that the song copied Shiva Stuti, a composition by his father Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar and uncle Zahiruddin Dagar, known together as the Junior Dagar Brothers. On April 25, a single judge ruled in Dagar's favour, directing Rahman and the film's producers to credit the Dagar brothers on all online platforms. The court also imposed costs of Rs 2 lakh and asked them to deposit Rs 2 crore. The musician appealed against the order. On Tuesday, the division bench of Justices C Hari Shankar and Ajay Digpaul stayed the injunction and listed Rahman's appeal for final disposal on May 23. 'As the subject matter of the copyright…has been in public domain since 2023, without prejudice to the rights and contentions of both sides and without intending the order to be any expression on cases of the parties before us, we stay the operation of the injunction,' said the court. The bench also stayed the Rs 2 lakh costs imposed earlier but directed Rahman and the producers to deposit Rs 2 crore in line with the single judge's directions, clarifying that this did not reflect any view on the merits of the appeal. Dagar had alleged that while Veera Raja Veera has different lyrics, its beat and musical structure are identical to Shiva Stuti, which had been performed globally and released by PAN Records. Justice Prathiba M Singh had earlier held that Veera Raja Veera was not merely inspired by Shiva Stuti but was identical to it. 'In this case, the core of the impugned song Veera Raja Veera is not just inspired but is in fact identical in Swaras (notes), Bhava (Emotion) and Aural impact (impact on the ear) of the suit composition Shiva Stuti, from the point of view of a lay listener,' she said. Rahman has denied the allegations, stating that Shiva Stuti is a traditional Dhrupad composition that lies in the public domain. He contended that Veera Raja Veera is an original composition built on Western musical fundamentals with 227 distinct layers, exceeding the boundaries of Hindustani classical music.
Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Delhi HC stays interim injunction against PS-2 song ‘Veera Raja Veera' use by AR Rahman
The Delhi High Court Tuesday stayed an interim injunction against music director A R Rahman and two production companies, under which Rahman and Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions were directed to credit celebrated Dhrupad exponents, the late Ustad Nasir Faiyazuddin and Ustad Nasir Zahiruddin Dagar, in a song in Ponniyin Selvan-2 (PS-2). An appeal was filed by Rahman against a single judge's order on April 25, and was taken up by the division bench of Justices C Hari Shankar and Ajay Digpaul. The single judge order had held that Rahman's popular composition Veera Raja Veera from the film PS-2 was musically 'identical' to Shiva Stuti, a devotional piece composed and performed by Junior Dagar Brothers. The court's ruling had come in a suit filed by Junior Dagar Brothers' heir, Padma Shri awardee Dhrupad vocalist Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, alleging Rahman and others of copyright infringement. On Tuesday, while staying the interim injunction order, the High Court, however, directed Rahman and the producers to deposit Rs 2 crore as was directed by the single judge. The division bench's stay on the interim injunction implies that Rahman does not have to pay damages of Rs 2 lakh as was directed on April 25, as of now, and he also does not have to give credits to Junior Dagar brothers for every play-out of the song, as was also directed. The division bench recorded in its order, 'As the subject matter of the copyright in which the injunction has been granted has been in public domain since 2023, without prejudice to the rights and contentions of both sides and without intending the order to be any expression on cases of the parties before us, we stay the operation of the injunction granted by Ld. Single Judge till the next date of hearing,' the Court ordered.
