SAI Ordered to Obtain Licence for Use of Music at 'Horn Ok Please' Festival

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has issued an interim order that restricts the Sports Authority of India (SAI) from playing songs or music owned by the Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) without obtaining prior licence. This move comes as the SAI is set to host the popular 'Horn Ok Please' food festival at its Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Stadium in New Delhi on November 16 and 17.

In its order, a single bench of Justice Riyaz Chagla noted that the SAI has repeatedly infringed the rights of PPL by playing its recordings without permission. The high court has restrained the SAI from using PPL's music and sound recordings until further notice.

The festival is just two days away, but the court intervention may yet impact the event. According to the order, the SAI, its employees, licensees, third-party event management companies, or any person acting on their behalf are strictly prohibited from "publicly performing or in any manner communicating" PPL's music without obtaining prior licence.

The Phonographic Performance Limited had filed an interim application in commercial court seeking an injunction against the SAI. The organisation argued that the SAI repeated infringement of copyright in sound recordings by playing music owned by them without permission at a previous event held on September 28-29, also at the Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Stadium.

PPL officials had issued "cease and desist" notices to the SAI on September 7 and November 8, calling upon the authority to cease infringing the copyright of their songs. The court has accordingly passed an ad-interim order that restricts the use of PPL's music and sound recordings.

SAI representatives were unavailable for comment at the time of filing this story. However, this interim order is likely to put a new hurdle in the path of SAI officials who are looking forward to hosting 'Horn Ok Please' ahead of schedule.