SAMRO To Go After Companies And People Who Did The #JerusalemaChallenge For Advertising

SAMRO To Go After Companies And People Who Did The #JerusalemaChallenge For Advertising. SAMRO record label has stated that it will be claiming payments from those who used MasterKG’s “Jerusalema”for their own endorsements. This follows after Warner International sent royalty invoices to various video posters to the German state, forcing them to fork out licence fees to Warner Music after several police forces took part in the “Jerusalema” viral dance challenge.

Taking to social media, SAMRO’s official Twitter account wrote: “For those who sang and joined the #jerusalemachallenge for fun, you don’t have to worry too much, those who used it for their own endorsements may be in for a startling surprise.”

Dumisani Motsamai, an entertainment lawyer that takes care of legal and business affairs for Open Mic Productions, which Master KG and Nomcebo Zikode’s are signed to said that it is no problem when the song is used for fun, however it becomes problematic when it is used for endorsements and taking advantage of the song.

“We have followed the news that Warner, our partners internationally, has actually been taken to task by many people on social media saying ‘you guys are being greedy, ‘we are doing this thing because of social [distancing], we are all down because of COVID’, and I think it’s quite on point. But there’ve been different versions of this challenge. There are situations where a child and their family are in their living room and they are doing the challenge, or they are outside and doing the challenge. That’s perfectly fine. But we have seen these challenges taking it a little bit too far, where really, what has been happening here is that people have been pushing their brands,” he said. He also explained that all the artists who make music also have to eat too.