Simply weeks earlier than the beginning of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, an surprising off-field controversy has emerged between two of the event’s most distinguished franchises. The media conglomerate Solar TV Community, which owns Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), has filed a copyright infringement case towards Chennai Tremendous Kings within the Madras Excessive Courtroom.
The dispute revolves across the alleged use of copyrighted music and dialogues from movies starring Tamil famous person Rajinikanth. These movies – together with Jailer, Jailer 2 and Coolie – are produced by Solar Photos, the movie manufacturing arm of Solar TV, which holds the unique rights to their audio and music.
In response to the lawsuit, CSK used parts of those copyrighted audio tracks in a promotional video for his or her IPL 2026 jersey launch with out acquiring permission or securing a license from the rights holders.
The controversy started on March 1, 2026, when Chennai Tremendous Kings unveiled their new jersey for the upcoming season by means of a promotional marketing campaign on social media platforms corresponding to Instagram, YouTube, Fb and X (previously Twitter).
The video featured a number of well-known audio components from Rajinikanth’s blockbuster movies, together with the tune “Hukum” from Jailer, “Hukum Reloaded” from Jailer 2, and the “Harbour Gang” background rating from Coolie. These tracks had been mixed with iconic dialogues and background music to create a dramatic and cinematic introduction for the group’s new package.
The music and sound results had been strategically used all through the video to intensify the joy across the marketing campaign. One of the notable scenes confirmed CSK veteran MS Dhoni arriving on the group camp, accompanied by highly effective background music from the movies.
Solar TV’s authorized group argued in court docket that the rights to the music in these movies are solely owned by the manufacturing firm. Composer Anirudh Ravichander had reportedly signed agreements that assign all music rights to the producers, that means Solar TV controls how the tracks can be utilized or licensed.
The corporate’s criticism states that CSK used these copyrighted components with out permission for a business marketing campaign designed to advertise merchandise gross sales, notably their new IPL jersey priced at round ₹2,399.
“It’s pointless to state the affect that music from movies involving Mr Rajinikanth and Mr Anirudh would have in aiding merchandise gross sales of a group based mostly in South India, and extra notably Chennai,” the plaint said.
What Solar TV is demanding in court docket?
In its authorized submitting, Solar TV has requested the court docket for a number of types of reduction towards CSK. These embody a everlasting injunction stopping the franchise from utilizing any songs, dialogues or background scores from Solar TV movies in promotional content material, stadium broadcasts, or social media posts with out authorization.
The corporate has additionally demanded ₹1 crore in damages for the alleged copyright violation. As well as, the lawsuit seeks a directive requiring CSK to reveal the income generated from the promotional marketing campaign that used the disputed audio tracks.
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In the course of the preliminary listening to, senior counsel J. Ravindran, representing Solar TV, knowledgeable the court docket that CSK had already stopped utilizing the songs after receiving an e-mail from the broadcaster on March 1 objecting to their use. The franchise reportedly eliminated the unique video and later uploaded a modified model with out the copyrighted music.
Showing for CSK, senior advocate P. S. Raman confirmed that the franchise had taken corrective motion and eliminated the disputed audio tracks from the promotional video.
“We’ll file an affidavit to this impact,” Raman said, assuring the court docket that the group would receive correct licenses in the event that they wished to make use of such music sooner or later.
The court docket has now directed CSK to submit a proper affidavit confirming that the songs are now not getting used with out authorization. The matter has been scheduled for its subsequent listening to on March 16.
Apparently, the lawsuit doesn’t solely goal the franchise itself. It additionally names three senior officers from Chennai Tremendous Kings as defendants: CEO Kasi Viswanathan, finance head Avinash Sridharan, and content material head Radhakrishnan Sreenivasan. Their inclusion signifies Solar TV’s intention to carry the administration straight answerable for the alleged infringement.
The case has already caught the eye of the broader IPL ecosystem. In response to studies, a number of different franchises have begun reviewing their very own social media practices, as many groups commonly use widespread songs and movie audio in promotional content material with out all the time securing formal licensing.
For now, the authorized battle provides an uncommon subplot to the buildup for IPL 2026. Whereas groups put together for the season on the sphere, this dispute highlights the rising significance of mental property rights within the entertainment-driven world of contemporary cricket.
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