Srinagar, March 6 -- Kashmir's celebrated poet, playwright, and songwriter Faiyaz Dilbar expressed a mix of emotions upon discovering his lyrics featured on platforms like Spotify and JioSaavn.

While initially pleased by the recognition, Dilbar was dismayed to find his work allegedly stolen and used without permission or credit.

The disputed song, "Beyi Soey Booniya, suiy shuhla goch," from Dilbar's 2004 Ghazal collection "Haarnis Taapas Andar," was included in an album produced by US-based NGO Funkar International. Dilbar contends that the NGO failed to credit him for his composition, a violation of Intellectual Property Rights.

Asmat Ashai, a Kashmiri-American language activist, founded Funkar International in 1999 to promote Kashmir...