Bombay HC Restrains Sanjay Dutt-Owned Pune Nightclub Ballr Over Unauthorized Music Use
The Bombay High Court has issued an order restraining the management of Ballr, a luxury nightclub in Pune co-owned by actor Sanjay Dutt and business partner Heramb Shelke, from publicly playing copyrighted sound recordings without securing a valid license. The ad-interim order was passed on August 7 in response to a petition filed by music licensing organization Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) India.
The legal dispute began when a representative from PPL visited the high-end establishment on June 24 and recorded multiple copyrighted songs being played without the required authorization. The playlist contained several popular Bollywood and international hits, including ‘Badtameez Dil’, ‘Mauja Hi Mauja’, ‘Dard-e-Disco’, ‘O Saki Saki’, ‘Dus Bahane’, Justin Bieber’s ‘What Do You Mean’, and Dua Lipa’s ‘Levitating’. PPL holds the exclusive public performance rights for these sound recordings within India.
During the court hearing, the bench was informed that Ballr had previously secured a valid public performance license from PPL India. However, the owners allowed the agreement to expire and continued to play music from PPL’s repertoire without renewing the contract. Recognizing the infringement, the Bombay High Court granted interim relief to PPL and prohibited the nightclub from playing any tracks assigned to PPL’s catalog until proper non-exclusive licenses are formally obtained.
Representing PPL India, advocate Hiten Wasan emphasized that the court’s decision sends a direct warning to commercial establishments regarding the legal ramifications of unauthorized music usage. PPL confirmed it will maintain strict monitoring across nightlife venues, hospitality hubs, and commercial spaces, taking swift legal action against any entities operating without active copyright licenses.
