Madras HC temporarily bars ‘Good Bad Ugly’ from using 3 of Ilaiyaraaja's songs

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday (September 8) granted a temporary injunction restraining Mythri Movie Makers, producers of Ajith Kumar-starrer Good Bad Ugly, from exhibiting, screening, distributing, or broadcasting the film with three songs composed by music maestro Ilaiyaraaja.

Justice N Senthilkumar granted the ex-parte order following a copyright infringement suit filed by Ilaiyaraaja in April.

Ilaiyaraaja had contended that the songs Otha Rubayum Tharen (Nattupura Pattu, 1996), Ilamai Idho Idho (Sakalakala Vallavan, 1982), and En Jodi Manja Kuruvi (Vikram, 1986) were used in Good Bad Ugly without his express consent and without the payment of the royalties he is legally entitled to.

In his legal notice, he had sought the removal of the songs, compensation of Rs 5 crore, a public apology, and a detailed account of revenues.

Justice Senthilkumar, while granting the temporary injunction today, remarked that the production firm had given a “bald” reply to the composer's legal notice, as per media reports. The production firm claimed to have obtained copyright permission but did not specify from whom or the nature of the authorisation, hence the music maestro was entitled to the temporary injunction, the judge held.

Good Bad Ugly, directed by Adhik Ravichandran and starring Ajith Kumar, Trisha, Sunil, Prabhu, Arjun Das, Jackie Shroff, and others, was released on April 10 and grossed nearly Rs 100 crore in its opening week.