Sony Music refuses revenue disclosure, and suddenly, copyright law is the new campus gossip. Ilaiyaraaja, the OG behind your parents’ favorite tunes (and probably your chill playlist too), just pulled up on Sony asking, “Show me the money.” Sony responded with sealed-cover suspense, desi Internet instantly turned into law-school group chat mode, and here we are, decoding why a dinner-bill-of-music royalties turned courtroom drama has everyone hooked. If you’ve ever wondered who actually gets paid when your nostalgia banger drops on Spotify, keep reading, because this is spicier than any remix.
1) Sealed Covers & Suspense: What Actually Went Down
Ilaiyaraaja took Sony Music to the Madras High Court demanding a clear account of cash earned from his songs, but Sony played the confidential card. On October 22, 2025, Sony told the court, “We have accounts, but we’ll show them only in a sealed cover, not to Ilaiyaraaja”, citing sensitive info from platforms like Spotify and Apple. Justice N. Senthilkumar basically said, “Not today,” since the Supreme Court is looking at transferring this kabaddi match. Ilaiyaraaja insists revenue details are overdue, and Sony still hasn’t filed a counter as the court demanded. Sealed covers are for chocolate boxes, not for royalty ledgers, kya scene hai!
Image courtesy Ilaiyaraaja – official website
2) Copyright Law—Netflix Password Drama, But For Music
Here’s the 101: The 2012 Copyright Act changes said composers and lyricists can’t lose rights to equal royalty shares, especially for streaming and TV—basically, “You made it, you get your cut.”
So, if you feel confused, just know even judges are probably humming “old rules vs new rules” in their heads.
3) Streaming Paisa: Your Playlist Is Someone’s Payday
Ilaiyaraaja says Sony is raking in major moolah by streaming, remixing, and re-releasing his jams, and wants a full-money report card starting Feb 2022.
Drama escalated when Ilaiyaraaja alleged his music turned up in movies like ‘Dude’ without proper clearance. FYI, ‘Dude’ bagged ₹75 crore in three days, which means these “old” tracks are straight-up cash cows. Moral of the story: transparency isn’t just a vibe, it’s the whole bank balance!
4) Courtroom Cliffhanger: The Season Finale Feels
The Madras High Court pressed pause because Sony’s already got the Supreme Court’s attention via a transfer petition. The next big update is coming only in late November 2025.
Importantly, the judge refused Sony’s sealed cover for now, and Ilaiyaraaja’s team wasn’t shy about calling out hush-hush court practices. Basically, the next time you hear about this case, expect a disclosure-vs-secrecy plot-twist that’ll have both law geeks and music fans live-tweeting.
Image courtesy Madras High Court – Wikipedia
5) The Bigger Picture: Artist Rights, Nostalgia, and Our Playlists
This isn’t just Ilaiyaraaja vs Sony, it’s about whether every Indian music creator gets paid fairly when their songs hit streaming gold. Parliament wanted royalty rights for authors; now the whole internet wants to see how much that intent actually means in rupees, not just theory.
If the courts push for full disclosure, it could become the new norm for legendary and upcoming artists alike, changing how everyone from labels to filmmakers cuts the actual cheques. It’s personal for all of us who have grown up on these tracks; if the songs never age, why should artists’ dues?
At the end of the day, we all just want to see the bill, no? If your favorite classic track is still earning crores, shouldn’t the creator get a proper cut that’s more transparent than a sealed cover juggle? What is your take on this?
