Warner Music asks German police to pay for ‘Jerusalema’ videos

A German state said on Monday it was forced to fork out license fees to Warner Music after several police forces took part in the viral dance challenge “Jerusalema”.

South African DJ Master KG’s song became a worldwide hit last year after it was used as the soundtrack for a video by a group of dancers in Angola.

Groups of employees from companies, hospitals, police forces and other workplaces around the world have since filmed themselves dancing to “Jerusalema” as a way to spread good humor during the pandemic.

But Warner Music has now written to several of these organizations in Germany demanding license fees amounting in some cases to several thousand euros, according to a recent report by the weekly Focus.

The Interior Ministry in Germany’s most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia told AFP on Monday that it had “settled Warner Music’s claims on behalf of several police forces” in the region.

A spokesperson for Düsseldorf University Hospital told the state news agency DPA that he also received mail from Warner Music and had since removed his video.

The North Rhine-Westphalia Firefighters Association warned its members of the license fees in early January after learning of one of the letters, a DPA spokesperson said.

Some local fire departments have since deleted their videos or canceled plans to create one, he said.

Warner’s decision drew fierce criticism on their Facebook page on Monday, with many users accusing the label of “lousy behavior.”

“You should give the extra income you get now … at least the money you get from firefighters, police stations, etc.,” one user wrote.

But the label defended its action.

“We love that the fans are supporting ‘Jerusalema’. But if organizations in Germany are using the song to promote themselves, we think they should get a dubbing license,” a Warner spokesperson told Focus.

“In these difficult times, it is more important than ever that artists and performers are paid for their music when it is used by others to improve their reputation,” said the spokesperson.