The ruling St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) has paid for the unauthorised use of the Vincentian song “Get Rid ah Dem” in its political campaign.
Lawyer Franklyn Max E Edwards said that SKNLP has made good on its promise to pay for the use of the song, which is owned by Vincentian musician Adrian Bailey.
The very catchy ditty was widely used in St. Vincent and the Grenadines by the then-opposition New Democratic Party during its efforts to unseat the Unity Labour Party in 2015.
Bailey learnt that the song had regained popularity in the Leeward Islands and was being used by the Antigua Barbuda Labour Party, led by Gaston Browne and also by SKNLP as their respective election campaign songs.
However, those political parties had not sought authorisation from the composition’s owners.
Bailey employed the services of Edwards, an entertainment lawyer, who contacted representatives of both parties about their violation of copyright laws.
Edwards earlier reported in a media statement that he had made an amicable settlement with Browne.
He further held discussions with legal representatives of the SKNLP.
A news release earlier this year stated that, despite a promised settlement, the SKNLP had not made good on the promised payment and had been ghosting the lawyer.
However, Edwards says the issue is now fully settled, but did not disclose the amount of the settlement, choosing instead to emphasise that copyrighting compositions provides legal protection for artistes.
Edwards reminded artistes of the importance of registering their works with a body such as East Caribbean Copyright Organization.
He said this against the backdrop of the release of hundreds of songs each year, particularly for Vincy Mas.