Madras High Court Orders TVK Cultural Academy To Pay Music Royalty Licence Fees For Chennai Events

The Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) has secured an interim order from the Madras High Court against Chennai-based event organiser TVK Cultural Academy over alleged copyright infringement linked to two upcoming live music events.

The dispute relates to a series of events organised by TVK in Chennai where musical works from the IPRS repertoire were allegedly performed without obtaining the required licences from the copyright society.

In its interim order dated April 29, 2026, the Madras High Court directed TVK Cultural Academy to pay the applicable licence fees for the events ‘Isai Kondattam’, scheduled for May 3, 2026, and ‘Nothing But Rajaa’, scheduled for May 24, 2026. The court further stated that failure to comply with the licensing requirement could result in the organiser being restrained from conducting the events as planned.

According to IPRS, the court observed that both events were being organised without payment of statutory licence fees to the copyright society.

The order is also expected to benefit the legal heirs of celebrated lyricists and creators such as Vaalee and Veturi Sundararama Murthy, whose works continue to generate cultural and commercial value.

Commenting on the development, Rakesh Nigam, CEO of IPRS, said the ruling marks another step towards strengthening compliance within India’s music ecosystem.

“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,” Nigam said.

He added that live events derive significant cultural and commercial value from music, making it important for lyricists, composers and publishers to be fairly recognised within the value chain.

Nigam further noted that IPRS continues to prioritise engagement and voluntary compliance, with legal action being pursued only when licensing efforts fail to reach resolution.

Meanwhile, Rakshit Talwar, Head of Public Performance at IPRS, said the order reinforces the importance of obtaining prior authorisation for copyrighted music at live events.

“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,” Talwar said.

IPRS is India’s only registered copyright society for musical and literary works associated with music. The organisation represents over 20,000 composers, lyricists and music publishers, including names such as A. R. Rahman, Javed Akhtar and Gulzar, along with music companies including Saregama, Sony Music India and T-Series.