The Delhi High Court made an important observation that could change the future of the Indian music industry. The court said that there is a lot of uncertainty about whether songs made with intelligence tools can be protected by copyright under Indian law. This happened during a hearing on March 26 2026 in a case about copyright infringement.
The case is called Tarun Chaudhary & Anr. V. Kuldeep Meena & Ors.. It was heard by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela. A songwriter and producer named Tarun Chaudhary bought the rights to a song from its creator. He went to court because he said the defendants used the song without permission. The song had lyrics written by a human. The music was made entirely by the artificial intelligence platform Suno.
The main question in this case is who owns the song and who can protect it with copyright. Tarun Chaudhary said he owns the song because he bought the rights. He wanted the court to stop the defendants from using the song. The problem is that the music was made by a machine, not a human.
The court looked at a part of the Copyright Act that says the person who makes a computer-generated work is the author.. Justice Gedela was not sure if this applies to music made by artificial intelligence. He said that just because a human gave instructions to the machine it does not mean the human is the author.
The defendants also pointed out that the terms of service of the Suno platform say that users own the rights to what they create but it does not guarantee copyright protection. This makes it unclear who owns the song and if it can be protected.
The court decided not to give an injunction, which means the defendants can still use the song for now. The court wants information and clarity on this issue. They asked the Registrar of Copyrights to join the case so they can get guidance.
This case is important because it raises questions about who owns music made with intelligence. It also shows that the law is not clear on this issue. The Indian music industry is changing fast with artificial intelligence tools that can make music.. This also creates problems with copyright and ownership.
Legal experts think this case is a deal. It will help decide if artificial intelligence-made music can be protected by copyright. If it cannot it might stop people from investing in this technology.. If it can it might lead to more artificial intelligence-made music and change the music industry.
For now the court is being careful. Wants to make sure they get it right. They are seeking guidance and keeping the case open. This case might lead to changes in the law or more guidance, from the government. The music industry and technology companies are watching this case closely. The question of who owns music made with intelligence is still not answered.
