It's a victory for Ilaiyaraaja in the copyright case; Madras HC dismisses 'Good Bad Ugly' makers' plea, and the ban continues
ETimes December 03, 2025 07:39 PM
Ajith's film ' Good Bad Ugly ,' which was directed by Adhik Ravichandran, was released on April 10 and met with great anticipation. The film, produced on a massive budget, starred Trisha, Prasanna, Arjun Das, Yogi Babu , and many others. Although G.V. Prakash's music composition added strength to the film, the film received mixed reviews from fans and critics. The use of some of Ilaiyaraaja's old superhit songs in the film later caused a major controversy.
Ilaiyaraaja issues legal notice over unauthorized song usage.As per Nakkheeran, Ilaiyaraaja sent a notice to the production company, alleging that his songs like 'Otha Rupayum Thaaren,' 'En Jodi Manja Kuruvi ,' and 'Ilamai Itho Itho' were used in the film without his permission. The notice sought compensation of Rs. 5 crore for the songs used. When a counter notice was sent to Mythri Movie Makers , they stated that they had legally acquired the rights. But since the information about who granted the rights was not disclosed, Ilayaraja's side approached the Madras High Court . During the trial, the court issued a temporary restraining order and ordered that the songs not be used in the film.
Contempt warning issued after songs were used despite court orderIlaiyaraaja announced that he would also pursue a contempt of court case , as it was alleged that the songs continued to be used in the film for a few days even after the court order. The film crew later removed the songs to avoid being embroiled in the controversy. In this situation, Mythri Movie Makers appealed to the High Court, demanding the lifting of the ban. Although the production company argued that it had acquired the rights to the songs, Ilaiyaraaja's side insisted that according to copyright law, the rights remain with the music creator.
Madras High Court upholds composer’s exclusive rightsWhen the case was taken up before Judge Senthilkumar today (December 3), he said, “Although the producers own the rights to the entire film, the permission of the composer is required to use the songs under it separately.” The argument of Ilayaraja's side was taken into consideration. Finally, the judge said, "Ilaiyaraaja has the legal right to prevent the songs from being changed or used without permission." The court dismissed the production company's petition seeking to lift the temporary injunction. This is the latest ruling in the case.
