Who protects a music composer’s legacy post death?

A music label may own the copyright, but a composer's moral rights can survive its transfer. Here's when heirs can demand credit or challenge a distorted remix.

My late father was a music composer. He assigned the rights in his works to a film producer decades ago, and by virtue of subsequent assignments, a music label now owns them. The label has released a remix that distorts one of his best-known songs, and his name is missing from the streaming credits. Can our family do anything?

– Name withheld on request

Yes. Even where a label owns the copyright in a song, Indian law gives the composer certain moral rights that remain with him even after he has parted with the copyright.

These rights are governed by Section 57 of the Copyright Act, 1957, which gives an author two rights:

Right of attribution: The right to be identified as the author of the work.

Right of integrity: The right to restrain, or claim damages for, any distortion, mutilation, modification or other act in relation to the work if it is prejudicial to the author's honour or reputation.

The family can, therefore, seek restoration of the composer's name in the credits if his musical work has been used in the remix. Whether they can also challenge the remix itself depends on what has been changed. If the remix distorts the song in a manner prejudicial to his honour or reputation, his legal representatives can seek to restrain it or claim damages.