Friday, March 29, 2024

JK and others win copyright rights over “Dununa Reverse” song

Share

JK perfoming Dununa Reverse at a PF rally in Siavonga
JK perfoming Dununa Reverse at a PF rally in Siavonga

Registrar of Copyrights in Zambia has warned that it is an offence for anyone to reproduce, distribute and communicate to the public or do any act that prejudices both the moral and economic interest of the owner.

Responding to a formal complaint by five artistes over the alleged infringement of their intellectual and property rights over the hit song Dununa Reverse, Acting Registrar of Copyrights Grace Kasungami stated that the artists could even claim damages over the song.

She stated that the Copyright and Performance Rights Act No 44 of 1994, protects the artist to be the sole reproducer, distributors and performer of their works.

Jordan Katembula(JK), Wilson Lungu (Wille), Happy Kayombo Machai (Kayombo), Felix Phiri (Felix), and Martin Kapesha (Shenke) complained to the Copyright authority that their song (Dununa Reverse) was being stolen in part or whole and their right to Copyrights and intellectual property was breached by the action.

This complaint to the copyright body has halted attempts to have the unauthorised copies or versions from being played on any media.

The artistes have a right to pursue the matter further to claim damages.

Some artistes such as Oga Kent have done their own versions of the Dununa song, rhythm and words and twisted words into new songs.

Letter from the Registrar of Copyright

Complaint Letter to the Registrar (1)

48 COMMENTS

  1. The song is a campaign song which will be no more after 30 days. Why go to court and waste money. Moreover it has no meaning at all. How can you be reversing instead of going forward. Its a childish song. Anyway there is too much money from the PF to pay you.

    • Is JK sure of what he is doing? The songs he sings are from the public domain and cannot be patented. The other things is that he did not patent that song, in this country. It is sad how politics are permeating every aspect of our lives. Anyways, we have only a few more days to go for this song to be rendered useless.

      The other way is to through that song forward on You Tube, where this judgment does not hold water.

    • @Ngalande,when kicking a penalty in football,the norm is that one has to face the goalkeeper………if you take it using your heel whilst your back is facing the goalkeeper then it means you’ve belittled the one manning goal goal post, hence the song dununa reverse cause the PF has belittled the opposition manning the goal post……..”ababambi bali muchibe, ababambi bola naikosa”.

    • A copyright infringement is only in effect if the song was registered with the relevant body. You cannot just state that you wrote a song for whatever purpose and do not want anybody else to use it. The act by the Ministry of Information was amended 6 years ago and is now Copyright and Performance Rights (Amendment) Act, 2010. Since nowhere in the letter was any copyright mentioned, it should have been rejected. There is nothing like “the copyright is automatic”! Who says that?

    • @Zedpoorpeople for sure you are dull, and this goes for all of you who think copyright laws are something to play around with! There is no such thing as patenting or registering a song! You patent inventions not songs. Clearly you have not read the letter from the ministry of information and this is why Edgar said the culture of not reading is killing this country. The law says once a song is created it automatically becomes the exclusive property of the creator without any further action on the part of the creator, but you go on to say he did not patent it! Has HH poisoned your mind so much that you cant even think straight. The law is the law there is nothing like what it should be or how it should be! The law is never ‘wrong’ it is the law and has to be followed at all times period…

  2. Ngalande,
    Read the letter and see if it is from a court of law. A song lasts forever…….. Donchi Kubeba is still around after 5 yrs. You up and down cadres must learn to be original. You are copying everything the PF is doing.

  3. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, first sentence confusing….
    “Reference is made to your letter dated 11th August…” ?????

    Someone is already thinking about outcome of August 11th…

    • THE CONFUSION OF DATES IS VERY SERIOUS. IF YOU WENT TO COURT WITH THIS DOCUMENT, THE CASE CAN GO NO WHERE JUST ON THIS TECHNICALITY. SO GET A CORRECTED LETTER PLEASE.

    • @general Kanene you have made my day with your observation! This shows that some of the people in these offices are so dull that they can’t even proof-read what they write. Surely, how does one send a letter with such a mix-up out?

  4. Others are fighting about intellectual property pertaining to design of Technology i.e. Apple vs Samsung….and here we are fighting about Dununa Reverse…..same thing I suppose

  5. The Minister of Information is Kambwili, what do you expect. Now look at the date of the letter. Er are not yet in August mwebantu

  6. ATI “their song (Dununa Reverse) was being stolen in part or whole and their right to Copyrights and intellectual property was breached by the action.”
    THIS SONG WAS COINED TWO YEARS AGO BY WOMEN OF MALIMA – SINAZONGWE. IT WENT PUBLIC(ZNBC) WHEN THE FIRST LADY VISITED SINAZONGWE A FEW MONTHS AGO AS THE WOMEN SANG FOR HER(ESTHER). WHO IS THE COPYRIGHT OWNER HERE?
    SOMEONE NEEDS TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS

  7. Read the letter, whoever wrote it need to go back to school. ati the song “Called titled” , . The song was sung at PF Chongwe Presidential rally in Chongwe”

    • Just my thoughts too. Surely the only binding ruling can only be made by a competent court. The song is nice, but it may well see its days after the elections.

      It’s only in Zambia and Africa where musicians take sides in politics. They should remain neutral and let voters make up their own minds based on the political actors’ messages as to what they will do for them. Sensible conviction and the need to help the less privileged in a private capacity like Bono or Geldof would make more sense.

      But then who won’t sell their soul to the highest bidder in Zambia. Sad indeed.

    • @cha cha cha are sure it’s only in Zambia? What about Obama wasn’t he endorsed by A list actors and musicians in America before he became president? Get your facts right before commenting.

  8. Politics aside, the song is a hit, the owners of the song need to protect their intellectual property. Those that are copying be creative, come up with your own song or tell pilato to compose a song then you can be singing it. Jealousy. Dununa reverse for sure, nafuti nafuti.

    • Well said! the problem with UPND is that they are always playing second fiddle, even their so called artists cant come up with songs that inspire their followers such that they have to copy what PF is doing. Pilato and others working for UPND should be ashamed of themsleves and who ever is paying them should think twice about where they are putting their money, coz what ever they have tried to do so far has not yielded any meaningful results. Its a pity, its like there are no brains in UPND! Seriously, no creativity at all!

  9. Well done JK and team. You will always be part of our history. Dununa reverse for is the hit of the moment. As for under 5 party and their supporters, please tell Pilato to compose a song that is befitting your impending defeat. Ifwe ni Dununa reverse chabe!

  10. Its just politics, this song is a very old Bbustele song, what copy right ????? Even them they have copied then !!! Its like claiming rights to…….kams kalila-lila…meeeee………Nosense !!! Its just that they are singing for chagwa…..wait for next month tikuwoneni

  11. Guys just accept – everyone is singing it even here in Solwezi ‘its dununa Reverse” hahahahahaha!
    JK bakamba…….!

  12. ba KJ ukopo. Thats why mwanawasa asked him “what is elyoni elyoni?” and he answered “it sansakuwa sir”

  13. People are obsessed with 11 August 2016. Grace Kasungami is referencing her letter to the future JK letter. kikikiki

  14. I THINK THE SONG IS A HIT AND HAS SERVED ITS PURPOSE BY PROMOTING THE PF. SO NO NEED TO GO TO COURT BLAH, BLAH, BLAH…… AND IN ZAMBIA YOU CAN FIGHT AND FIGHT AND FIGHT. THESE BATTLES ARE RARELY WON. UNLESS IT IS FOR POLITICAL REASONS. MAYBE THE UPND HAS COPIED SOME LINES AND WANT TO UNDO WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. ….NEXT ITEM PLEASE.

  15. You under 5s whats your problem? Just compose your own songs and slogans. You are copying what ever PF does. Thats why you are losing the 11 August election coz you cant do any thing on your own. Shame on you

  16. I like the Nakwe nakwe. Ati running the economy under the influence of alcohol. Wamya baRATSA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Guys your song composition has gone overdrive? am looking forward to have badges with a finger point at a number 23. Nsonta apo yafuma.

  17. I like the Nakwe nakwe song. Ati running the economy under the influence of alcohol. Wamya baRATSA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Guys your song composition has really gone overdrive? am looking forward to having badges with a finger point at a number 23. Nsonta apo yafuma.

  18. ni campaign song its has a campaign message and attacks on the opposition, right to respond is an entitlement. There are no commercial no moral rights here or is the song be paid for. You attacked and they are fighting back chapwa…Which commercial rights??????? what moral infringement?????
    Kj and other must prove the commercial and moral (whatever that means) damages suffered

  19. 11th August 2016…seems the author is looking forward kikikiki
    asnt the letter addressed to the Registrar??? how come the response is from the office of the PS???

  20. When Edgar C Lungu dons ka ma Fancy Hat. HH copies. When Edgar Lungu Dances at a Rally . HH Copies. When Edgar Lungu says he will rule through God’s Guidance, HH copies. When Edgar Lungu releases a Manifesto, HH Copies and calls it a 10 Point Plan. When Dununa Reverse is Produced, HH copies. Even the Mpaka Litente Slogan belongs to Mighty Mufulira Wanderers. I hope they can also sue . UPND has stolen their slogan leaving them with nothing to cheer their team on during matches. . The PF are Trend Setters. HH has nothing to offer apart from copying everything from the PF. No wonder he has ended up with rejects from the PF, in a desperate attempt to copy everything. Zambia needs original people. Not Copy Cats like HH. What a shame.

  21. THE LETTER WAS WRITTEN BY A POLITICIAN AND HANDED OVER TO THE REGISTRAR FOR SIGNATURE, NO WONDER THE DATES ARES WRONG. 11TH AUGUST MY FOOT

  22. HH has never been original, Names for example; Obama, Mosses, kachema. His winning team: GBM, Chituo, Scott and VJ. Source of wealth……..?

  23. Hamanjanji We know those that are selfish and are supporting PF on obsequiousness because they want the rest of zambians to suffer on their behalf, What is there to support PF when pipo are being killed everyday, the economy is dead, zambians are dying of hunger. And again the PF is telling you they will dununa the country in reverse like they told you they hard no vision and now the vision is to dununa the country in reverse. Hey wake up and think of the nation and not your pocket. Dununa reverse an eveil and useless song

  24. Cha Cha every performer takes sides it all about loyalty.Messi cant be a representative of Puma and addidas

  25. Who cares about these ritual killing, dagga smoking musicians? Which band did they use to record the song? Is it not just computers meaning they use samples which are not copyrighted?

    They better have there taxes in order as Miles Sampa will set ZRA on them after August 11.

  26. Chance Givens, which country are you referring to? Zambia is a lawless country or just a jungle where survival is for the fittest. How many people have been hacked to death? Which law has been applied to prosecute these hackers? How many criminals have unlawfully discharged fire arms and are still roaming the streets of this jungle you call Zambia? How many buffoons have damaged people’s property in this country and are still roaming this Zombie country? How may drug peddlers have been arrested with chamba but are still pushing chamba on the streets in this Zombie country? If this is the law that your university offers then no wonder its ranking is so pathetic as a learning institution.

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading