Madras High Court Mandates Payment of Royalty Licence Fees for TVK Cultural Academy’s May Events

Chennai, May 22^nd , 2026: Chennai’s two live music events face legal hurdles over licensing requirements. The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd. (“IPRS”) has obtained an order from the Madras High Court in a copyright infringement suit against TVK Cultural Academy (“TVK”), an event organiser in Chennai. The dispute stems from a series of live events organised by TVK across Chennai, where musical works from IPRS’s repertoire were performed without obtaining the requisite licences.

The Madras High Court, by its interim order dated April 29, 2026, directed the event organiser, TVK, to pay the License fee for the events namely “Isai Kondattam” (scheduled for May 03, 2026) and “Nothing But Rajaa” (scheduled for May 24, 2026), or be restrained from organising the events as scheduled. The Court noted that both events were being organised without payment of the statutory licence fee to the Copyright Society. The judgment will also benefit the legal heirs of legendary creators such as Vaalee and Veturi Sundararama Murthy, whose works continue to hold immense cultural and commercial value, further reinforcing the importance of protecting creators’ rights and ensuring fair royalty distribution.

Rakesh Nigam, CEO, IPRS commented – “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. Live events derive immense commercial and cultural value from music, and it is important that the lyricists, composers and publishers behind these works are recognised within that value chain. At IPRS, our approach has always been to engage, educate and encourage voluntary compliance across industries. Legal intervention is pursued only when repeated efforts towards lawful licensing do not yield resolution. The Hon’ble Madras High Court’s order reinforces a broader industry message that creator rights and fair licensing are fundamental to the long-term sustainability and credibility of India’s entertainment and live music economy.”

Additionally, Mr. Rakshit Talwar Head of Public Performance, IPRS said – “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. The Hon’ble Madras High Court’s order reinforces the importance of prior authorisation for copyrighted music and encourages greater awareness and compliance across the live entertainment ecosystem.”

IPRS is India’s only registered copyright society for musical works and literary works associated with musical works with a membership of more than 20,000 composers, lyricists, and music publishers, its roster includes iconic names such as A.R. Rahman, Javed Akhtar and Gulzar, along with leading music companies like Saregama, Sony Music and T-Series.