Copyright Dispute: Lenka Issues Takedown Notice for Shaira’s ‘Selos’
This Tuesday, Australian singer, Lenka, filed a copyright claim against Shaira Moro‘s ‘Selos‘. This resulted in pulling out the TikTok viral parody song from all music streaming platforms.
Copyright Dispute: Lenka Issues Takedown Notice for Shaira Moro’s ‘Selos’
After a copyright issue arose, Shaira Moro, also known as the ‘Queen of Bangsamoro Pop,’ removed her viral song from all streaming platforms.
This sparked controversy as some were unaware of Lenka‘s ‘Trouble Is A Friend‘ from 2008. Additionally, some agree that the parody song heavily uses the entire melody of Lenka’s 2008 song.
Lenka’s awareness of the viral song prompted her to take action. This led Shaira’s agency, AHS Productions to remove the song from Spotify last March 19. In their statement, the agency expressed gratitude to those who enjoyed the song and extended apologies for its removal.
Furthermore, they also emphasized that they did not anticipate the parody song’s viral reception, as it was initially created solely for entertainment purposes. Shaira’s sudden rise in popularity has earned her the title ‘Queen of Bangsamoro Pop‘ from the public.
In addition to that, many claim they were unaware of Lenka’s song until Shaira’s parody gained traction in mainstream media. Some even argue that the viral song sounds better than the original swarming Lenka’s socials with hateful comments.
However, legally, regardless of subjective judgments on which song sounds superior— ownership remains the concrete grounds for a copyright claim. Thus, plagiarism is deemed illegal.
Understanding the Copyright Dispute
Looking back, Lenka released her licensed song ‘Trouble Is A Friend’ back in 2008, which means, she has all the rights to it. This includes her ownership of the melody, lyrics, idea, and tune. So anyone who benefited from using the aspect above could face a copyright claim lawsuit.
If you were the original creator of the song and saw someone else has benefited from a copied tune, it might lead you to think that you should’ve received royalties from it. In legal terms, you certainly have the right to claim royalties since all of it came from your ideas, and it should solely belong to you.
However, there are some cases where artists are permitted to use melodies or riffs from original songs when they have obtained the necessary licensing. This allows them to produce and earn from their work.
Therefore, since ‘Selos’ was created solely for entertainment, Shaira’s team failed to give proper credit to Lenka. And, the song’s sudden fame compelled Lenka to acknowledge the parody and take the necessary actions of issuing a takedown notice.
Lenka and her team has the right to issue a copyright claim against Shaira Moro’s viral song. This is due to the parody using the original melodies. Regardless of personal preferences for the original song, legality prevails. Hence, plagiarism constitutes a legal violation of copyright claims lawsuit. As artists, we must prioritize originality and authenticity as this can set us apart from other emerging artists in the industry.
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