NEWS

MUMBAI: The Intellectual Property Rights Society (IPRS) has secured an interim injunction from a Mohali court against the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) for playing unlicensed music during the ongoing IPL series.

According to IPRS' senior general manager Kunal Sarin, Mohali is the first stadium in the country to play music in between matches. Back in 2006, the IPRS, whose tariff requires a cricket stadium playing music also to secure a license, approached the PCA authorities. The PCA, however refused to get a license, resulting in a legal action which resulted in an injunction against the stadium authorities. A compromise was reached with Mohali agreeing to pay the IPRS royalties, including the last one dayer at Chandigarh between India and Pakistan.

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However, the PCA has not paid up for the ongoing IPL series matches being played at Mohali despite repeated intimations, says the IPRS. The society consequently filed a suit in the Mohali court and secured an interim injunction against the playing of music. The case will now be heard on 7 May. The court has directed that no recorded music will be played till the next hearing and has designated two magistrates to monitor the proceedings at the stadium till then.

So far, three matches of the IPL have been played at Mohali so far -
Punjab Kings Eleven versus Chennai Superstars Rajasthan Royals versus Punjab Kings Eleven Punjab Kings Eleven versus Mumbai Indians At the last match played, observers say only the dhol was played in view of the court's injunction order.

According to Sarin, some stadia authorities in cities like Bangalore and Chennai have paid up the IPRS royalties, while others are yet to comply.

According to the IPRS, the royalties to be played during each match are Rs 40 multiplied by the capacity of the stadium, whereas if the match is telecast, the rate is Rs 15 per person multiplied by the capacity. In case the music is not accompanied by an artiste's performance, the rate is Rs three.