In a series of orders issued against individual establishments in December 2022, the Bombay High Court has restrainedthe use of copyright-protected sound recordings of Phonographic Performance Ltd. (PPL) without license by hundreds of popular commercial establishments like Hotels, Resorts, Lounges, Pubs, Clubs, Bars etc. such as Xeco Media LLP (Discover Resorts), Digi1 Electronics, The Bar Stock Exchange, Snow World Entertainment, Adyar Gate Hotels, Byke Hospitality, Siddhivinayak Hospitality, FML Hospitality, Sai Silks (Kalamandir), AmbujaNeotia Holdings, GRT Hotels and Resorts and their outlets across the country.
The recent court orders assume great significance, as the order applies to all usage of music including ones being played in public places on New Year’s Eve, Christmas, and any other events or in the background throughout the year. The eighty-year-old establishment PPL India is amusic licensing company that control/ owns on ground performance rights of more than 350 music labels controlling over 4 million domestic and international sound recordings in several languages like Hindi, English, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Haryanvi, Bhojpuri, etc.
It controls rights for on ground usage of recorded songs of some of the biggest record labels, such as Aditya Music, Ananda Audio, Divo, Diljit Dosanjh, Lahari Music, Saregama, Sony Music, Sonotek, T-Series, Times Music, Universal Music, Warner Music, and many more. G.B Aayeer, MD & CEO of PPL India said that “While PPL earnestly thanks all the establishments who have come forward and procured licenses in advance, it has no other alternative but to seek relief from courts against the adamant infringers.”
