The golden age of film music is no longer behind the copyright paywall, the Delhi High Court recently ruled. It pointed to Section 27 of the Copyright Act, 1957, which reserves the copyright of a song for 60 years from the beginning of the calendar year following its first publication. This means songs published before 1965 need no licensing fee, which event managers are required to pay. So whether it’s K V Mahadevan’s score for Thiruvilaiyadal or C Ramchandra’s for Albela, they can now be played in public, not just streamed to earpods. For Bollywood, a strong case can be made that 1958 was its most bountiful with songs that have stood the test of time. Let us know if you want to add to the list.