A copyright dispute has arisen over actor Sanjay Dutt’s nightclub Ballr in Pune. Copyrighted songs were being played in the club without permission.
Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) India complained to the Bombay High Court that copyrighted music was being used in the club without a license. The court granted interim relief to PPL, restraining Ballr from publicly playing sound recordings from its collection without the necessary license.
A PPL representative visited Ballr on 24 June. During this visit, they found several copyrighted songs from PPL’s collection being played in the club. Ballr is owned by actor Sanjay Dutt and Heramb Shelke.
These songs include ‘Badtameez Dil’, ‘Mauja Hi Mauja’, ‘Dard-E-Disco’, ‘O Saki Saki’, and ‘Dus Bahane’.
It is claimed that Sanjay Dutt’s club is the country’s largest nightclub.
Justin Bieber and Dua Lipa’s songs also on the list
The list of songs being played in the club also included international songs. These included Justin Bieber’s ‘What Do You Mean’ and Dua Lipa’s ‘Levitating’.
PPL claims that the copyright for all these sound recordings belongs to the same organisation. In its 7 August order, the Bombay High Court restrained the nightclub owners from playing or using PPL’s collection of sound recordings without the necessary non-exclusive public performance license.
License was taken earlier, not renewed after expiry
During the hearing, the court was informed that Ballr had previously obtained a copyright license from PPL India to use music from its collection. PPL India handles the licensing of copyrighted sound recordings.
However, this license had expired and was not renewed. Taking this into consideration, the court granted interim relief to PPL and directed Ballr not to use copyrighted recordings without the necessary permission.
Sanjay Dutt’s club was opened in 2023.
PPL states that commercial establishments playing copyrighted music for entertainment must obtain the necessary license. The organization is also monitoring places where its recordings might be used without permission.
PPL’s Lawyer Says – Unauthorised Use Can Have Legal Consequences
After the order, PPL’s lawyer Hiten Vasan said that the organisation will continue to identify cases where copyrighted music is being used without necessary approval.
Vasan said, The interim order of the Bombay High Court sends a clear message that continued unauthorised use of copyrighted music can have serious legal consequences.
This is an Interim Order, Not a Final Decision
The court’s order is an interim step in this matter. It is not a final decision on all issues related to the dispute.
Currently, Ballr has been restrained from using recordings from PPL’s collection without obtaining the necessary licenses. Following PPL’s complaint, attention has once again been drawn to the issue of music licensing in commercial venues.
Commercial venues must obtain the necessary approval before playing copyrighted songs for their guests.
