The Jerusalema IP Challenge

Hot on the heels of the Jerusalema Dance Challenge that took the world by storm last year, a new challenge is developing for some organizations that uploaded videos online showcasing their brands and workforces dancing to South African DJ Master KG's global megahit, ‘Jerusalema', without permission from the rights holders to do so.

Recent media reports inform that the Warner Music Group, that manages the copyright in the Jerusalema song internationally, approached several organizations in Germany for the payment of license fees for the use of the song.

A social media backlash ensued as some of the entities that were approached include hospitals whose front-line healthcare workers performed the dance to support the global message of togetherness that the song has fuelled.  Others were commercial airlines, however, and businesses that could look to benefit commercially from their alignment with the poignant creative movement.