Delhi High Court Rules PPL Cannot Issue Music Licenses To Restaurants Without Copyright Society Registration

The Delhi High Court has ruled that Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) cannot issue licenses for playing music in restaurants and public spaces unless it is registered as a copyright society under Section 33 of the Copyright Act, 1957.

The Division Bench overturned a previous single-judge decision and clarified that assignment agreements with music labels don’t grant PPL the authority to license music.

The case involved Azure Hospitality, which played songs owned by PPL in its restaurants without proper authorization.

Although PPL cannot issue licenses for the music, Azure is required to pay a fee comparable to the one charged by Recorded Music Performance Ltd.