The restaurant group Life and Brand Portfolio is facing criminal charges from the South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA). This is a result of the applicable licence fee payment failures related to music SAMPRA manages on behalf of its members.
According to a statement released by SAMPRA, the Collective Management Organisation (CMO) administers Needletime Rights on behalf of over 40,000 recording artists and 6000 record companies.
SAMPRA, who laid criminal charges with the Woodstock police station, notes that restaurants such as La Parada, Tiger’s Milk, Harbour House, Grand Africa, Lucky Fish and Chips, Live Bait, The Lookout and Old Town Italy have unlawfully been playing music belonging to recording artists and record companies at their stores.
SAMPRA CEO Pfanani Lishivha says that they have been negotiating with the restaurant group for nearly four years to pay the licence fees due.
“Life and Brand Portfolio is, however, adamant in its stance of using music illegally and, therefore, depriving recording companies and artists of their right to earn income from their music,” Pfanani added.
Local artists linked to SAMPRA include DJ Maphorisa, Sjava, Big Zulu, Simphiwe Dana and Loyiso Bala to name a few.
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“Litigation is not our preferred approach when it comes to licensing music users. It really is a last resort. We cannot, in good conscience, allow businesses to exploit musicians while we stand by and watch. Musicians also have families to support and financial obligations to meet. If we do nothing, we will have failed an extremely vulnerable group of people,” concluded Pfanani.
SAMPRA, according to its statement, has also had a word with non-compliant music users such as Food Lovers, JMVR Group, and Andiccio.
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