Mr R Ayubkhan Vs Dr Ilaiyaraaja — Madras HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

Mr R Ayubkhan Vs Dr Ilaiyaraaja — Madras HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Impleadment application allowed; applicant R.Ayubkhan to be joined as 15th respondent in O.A.No.1091 of 2025 in C.S.(Comm.Div.) No.295 of 2025, with the plaintiff directed to carry out the corresponding amendment.

Issue for consideration

Whether third-party applicant R.Ayubkhan, who states he acquired copyrights in the sound recording and underlying musical and other works in the cinematograph films Azhagi, Peranbum Perungobamum and Mayakannadi for worldwide territories, should be impleaded as a respondent in O.A.No.1091 of 2025 in C.S.(Comm.Div.) No.295 of 2025.

Court's answer

Upon examining the averments in the affidavit, the court was satisfied that the applicant is atleast a proper party to the application/suit and therefore allowed the impleadment application.

Ratio / Principle

As a consequence, the plaintiff was directed to carry out amendment in the application by impleading the applicant as the 15th respondent in O.A.No.1091 of 2025 in C.S.(Comm.Div.) No.295 of 2025.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Madras High Court (Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, J.), Order dated 17.12.2025 in A. No.6299 of 2025 in C.S.(Comm.Div.) No.295 of 2025: Allowed a third-party impleadment application filed by R.Ayubkhan, who stated that he had acquired copyrights in the sound recording and underlying musical and other works in the cinematograph films Azhagi, Peranbum Perungobamum and Mayakannadi for worldwide territories. Finding him atleast a proper party to O.A.No.1091 of 2025, the court allowed the application and directed the plaintiff to amend it by impleading the applicant as 15th respondent. Plaintiff's counsel had earlier submitted, without prejudice to the plaint contentions, no serious objection to the impleadment. Existing respondents include Dr.Ilaiyaraaja, John Doe Ashok Kumar, Amazon.in, Saavn Media Ltd., Youtube (Google LLC), Gaana.Com, Apple Music Co Inc, Five Star Audio, Sun TV Network Limited, Music Master Audio Video LLP, Star Vijay TV Channel, Indian Record Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, Meta Platforms Inc and Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt Ltd.

A. No.6299 of 2025 in C.S.(Comm.Div.) No.295 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 17.12.2025

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE SENTHILKUMAR RAMAMOORTHY

A. No.6299 of 2025 in C.S.(Comm.Div.) No.295 of 2025

R.Ayubkhan

.. Applicant

vs

1.Dr.Ilaiyaraaja

2.John Doe Ashok Kumar

3.Amazon.in

represented by its Managing Director, Plot No.40, S P Infocity, 3^rd Floor, MGR Salai, Veeranam Road, Perungudi, Chennai – 600 096.

4.Saavn Media Ltd.,

represented by its Managing Director, 8^th Floor, Innov8 by OYO, 1181, 1182, Solitaire Corporate Park, Cardinal Gracious Road, Mumbai, Maharashtra – 400 093.

5.Youtube (Google LLC) represented by its Managing Director, Signature Towers III, Tower B SIGD, Silokhera, Sector – 15, Part 2, Gurugram, Haryana – 122 002, India.

6.Gaana.Com

Entertainment Network India Ltd, represented by its Managing Director, FC-6, Film City, Sector 16A, Noida, Uttar Pradesh – 201 301, India.

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A. No.6299 of 2025 in C.S.(Comm.Div.) No.295 of 2025

7.Apple Music Co Inc

represented by its Managing Director, 13^th Floor, Prestige Minsk Square, Municipal No.6, Cubbon Road, Bengaluru – 560 001, Karnataka.

8.M/s.Five Star Audio

represented by its Partner Mr.Kalyana Sundaram, No.3/66, 7^th Street, Sree Sayee Nagar, Virugambakkam, Chennai – 600 092.

9.Sun TV Network Limited (Corporate Office) represented by its Vice President (Programming), Murasoli Maran Towers, 73, MRC Nagar Main Road, MRC Nagar, Chennai – 600 028, Tamil Nadu, India.

10.M/s.Music Master Audio Video LLP represented by its Designated Partner Mr.Ganshyam Hemdev, No.5/3, Muktha Garden, Spurtank Road, Chetpet, Chennai – 600 031.

11.Star Vijay TV Channel represented by its Channel Head 25A, South Phase, Ambedkar Nagar, SIDCO Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai – 600 032, Tamil Nadu.

12.M/s.Indian Record Manufacturing Co. Ltd., represented by its Managing Director TNK House, 4^th Floor, No.48, Mount Road, Chennai – 600 002.

13.Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited represented by its Managing Director, Olympia Platina, No.33b, 2^nd Floor, SIDCO Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai – 600 032.

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A. No.6299 of 2025 in C.S.(Comm.Div.) No.295 of 2025

14.Meta Platforms Inc represented by its Managing Director, DLF ATRIA, Gulmohar Marg, DLF Phase 2, Sector 25, Gurugram, Haryana – 122 002.

15.M/s.Sony Music Entertainment India Private Ltd., represented by its Managing Director, 2^nd Floor, First International Financial Centre, Bandra Kurla Complex Road, Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, Maharashtra – 400 098.

.. Respondents

For Applicant : Ms.S.Gayathri For Respondents : Mr.A.Saravanan for R1 Mr.A.R.Pradeep for R4 Mr.M.Narendran for M/s.King and Patridge for R6 Mr.Rahul Balaji for R9 Mr.K.Harishankar for R10 Mr.T.Sai Krishnan for R11 Mr.Abishek Jenasenan for R15

ORDER

A third party has filed this application for being impleaded as a respondent in O.A.No.1091 of 2025 in C.S.(Comm.Div.) No.295 of 2025. It is stated that the applicant acquired copyrights in the sound recording and underlying musical and other works in the cinematograph films Azhagi, Peranbum Perungobamum and Mayakannadi for worldwide territories. Therefore, the applicant seeks to be impleaded.

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A. No.6299 of 2025 in C.S.(Comm.Div.) No.295 of 2025 2. Without prejudice to the contentions made in the plaint,

learned counsel for the plaintiff submits that he has no serious objection to the applicant being impleaded.

Upon examining the averments in the affidavit and being satisfied that the applicant is atleast a proper party to the application/suit, this application is allowed. Consequently, the plaintiff is directed to carry out amendment in the application by impleading the applicant as 15^th respondent in O.A.No.1091 of 2025 in C.S.(Comm.Div.) No.295 of 2025.

17.12.2025

mmi

To

1.Dr.Ilaiyaraaja

2.John Doe Ashok Kumar

3.Amazon.in

represented by its Managing Director, Plot No.40, S P Infocity, 3^rd Floor, MGR Salai, Veeranam Road, Perungudi, Chennai – 600 096.

4.Saavn Media Ltd.,

represented by its Managing Director, 8^th Floor, Innov8 by OYO, 1181, 1182, Solitaire Corporate Park, Cardinal Gracious Road, Mumbai, Maharashtra – 400 093.

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A. No.6299 of 2025 in C.S.(Comm.Div.) No.295 of 2025

5.Youtube (Google LLC)

represented by its Managing Director, Signature Towers III, Tower B SIGD, Silokhera, Sector – 15, Part 2, Gurugram, Haryana – 122 002, India.

6.Gaana.Com Entertainment Network India Ltd, represented by its Managing Director, FC-6, Film City, Sector 16A, Noida, Uttar Pradesh – 201 301, India.

7.Apple Music Co Inc represented by its Managing Director, 13^th Floor, Prestige Minsk Square, Municipal No.6, Cubbon Road, Bengaluru – 560 001, Karnataka.

8.M/s.Five Star Audio

represented by its Partner Mr.Kalyana Sundaram, No.3/66, 7^th Street, Sree Sayee Nagar, Virugambakkam, Chennai – 600 092.

9.Sun TV Network Limited (Corporate Office) represented by its Vice President (Programming), Murasoli Maran Towers, 73, MRC Nagar Main Road, MRC Nagar, Chennai – 600 028, Tamil Nadu, India.

10.M/s.Music Master Audio Video LLP represented by its Designated Partner Mr.Ganshyam Hemdev, No.5/3, Muktha Garden, Spurtank Road, Chetpet, Chennai – 600 031.

11.Star Vijay TV Channel represented by its Channel Head 25A, South Phase, Ambedkar Nagar, SIDCO Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai – 600 032, Tamil Nadu.

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A. No.6299 of 2025 in C.S.(Comm.Div.) No.295 of 2025

SENTHILKUMAR RAMAMOORTHY,J.

mmi

12.M/s.Indian Record Manufacturing Co. Ltd., represented by its Managing Director TNK House, 4^th Floor, No.48, Mount Road, Chennai – 600 002.

13.Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited represented by its Managing Director, Olympia Platina, No.33b, 2^nd Floor, SIDCO Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai – 600 032.

14.Meta Platforms Inc represented by its Managing Director, DLF ATRIA, Gulmohar Marg, DLF Phase 2, Sector 25, Gurugram, Haryana – 122 002.

15.M/s.Sony Music Entertainment India Private Ltd., represented by its

Managing Director, 2^nd Floor, First International Financial Centre, Bandra Kurla Complex Road, Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, Maharashtra – 400 098.

A. No.6299 of 2025 in C.S.(Comm.Div.) No.295 of 2025

17.12.2025

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