Bombay High Court Temporarily Restrains Legends League Cricket Operator From Using PPL Songs Without Licence

The Bombay High Court has granted urgent ad interim protection to Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL), restraining Absolute Legends Sports Private Limited, the owner and operator of Legends League Cricket (LLC), from publicly performing its copyrighted sound recordings during its cricket matches without obtaining a valid licence.

Absolute Legends Sports conducts Legends League Cricket, a T20 tournament featuring retired international players, and the music licensing body moved the Court apprehending that its copyrighted recordings would be played during the upcoming fixtures without authorisation.

In an order dated March 12, 2026, Justice Sharmila U. Deshmukh observed that the apprehension was well-founded, particularly in view of the sports company's past conduct of obtaining licences for similar events.

The Court noted that the suit was filed to prevent likely unauthorised use of the plaintiff's sound recordings, as match fixtures placed on record showed that events were scheduled on an almost daily basis.

PPL approached the Court seeking urgent relief restraining Absolute Legends Sports Private Limited from publicly performing or communicating its copyrighted sound recordings without licence during the scheduled matches.

The licensing body submitted that the respondents were fully aware of their obligation to obtain licence, pointing out that licences had been obtained in the past and that an undertaking dated December 23, 2023 had been given assuring that licences would be procured whenever the plaintiff's recordings were used at events conducted or controlled by the company.

It further pointed out that a legal notice dated February 4, 2025 was issued before the matches, but no reply was received, giving rise to a genuine apprehension that the recordings would be played during the 2026 fixtures without authorisation.

Addressing these submissions, the Court observed,

“Prima facie, the procurement of license by Respondent No. 1 in the past would indicate the knowledge of the Respondents that for the purpose of communicating the Plaintiff's copyrighted sound recordings, it is necessary to obtain the license from the Plaintiff.”

The court also noted that the undertaking dated December 23, 2023, acknowledged the plaintiff's rights in the sound recordings of which it is the owner or exclusive licensee.

Referring to the match fixtures placed on record, the Court observed,

“The action in the present case is quia timet action and apprehension that the Plaintiff's copyrighted sound recordings will be played at the matches appears to be well-founded as in the past license was procured.”

In view of the above, the Court granted ad interim relie restraining the league from publicly performing PPL's copyrighted sound recordings or permitting their premises to be used for such purposes without licence.

The matter is scheduled for further hearing on April 8, 2026, and the ad-interim protection will continue till the next date.