A group of six producers namely PT Selvakumar, Anbuselvan, Jeba Jones, Meera Kathiravan, Manikandan and Chandrashekar have filed a case against veteran composer Ilayaraja, demanding that they be given a share in the royalty he receives for his works.
This case we believe is in response to the composer's statement this time last month where he announced that singers and musicians should pay royalty before using his songs. Ilayaraja went as much to say, "If you wish to sing and perform my songs on stage without prior intimation, you are liable for legal action. This also includes people who play my music in instruments. You all have to realise this is an offence under the copyright law and I will take action as per law."
Now, talking about the case filed in Madras High Court, one of the 6 producers has said, "..the producers who signed him up at the beginning of his career are not getting any financial benefit out of the songs even though they are the ones who had invested in his music.Many of the producers, on behalf whom we have filed the case had transferred the rights of their films’ songs to the audio label, Echo, on Ilaiyaraaja’s suggestion. But the royalty that they should be getting hasn’t reached them so far.."
The 6 producers also allege that Ilayaraja owes then Rs. 200 Crore in total and that producers from the 80s who have documents for revenue sharing can easily claim these royalty shares.