Blaq Diamond Image via Twitter @blaqdiamond150
Blaq Diamond wins exploitation case against Ambitiouz
Music duo Blaq Diamond have won their legal battle against their former record label Ambitiouz Entertainment.
Blaq Diamond Image via Twitter @blaqdiamond150
Afropop duo Blaq Diamond have won their case against their former record label, Ambitiouz Entertainment.
COURT RULES AMBITIOUZ CANNOT REMOVE BLAQ DIAMOND’S MUSIC
The Summer YoMuthi hitmakers – whose names are Ndumiso “Ndu Browns” Mdletshe and Siphelele “Danya Devs” Dunywa – have successfully interdicted YouTube and recording label Ambitiouz Entertainment from deleting their music from their YouTube channel and all distributing platforms – their lawyer, Jade Louella Naidoo, said on Twitter on Monday, 12 June.
ALSO READ: Smear campaign? Blaq Diamond deny Ambitiouz artist’s claims
“CONGRATULATIONS to my client Blaq Diamond for successfully interdicting YouTube & Ambitiouz entertainment from removing their music off YouTube and all DSPs!!! WE WON WITH Costs.
“This is an industry game changer ! This is for all musicians being exploited by record labels!” she wrote.
ALSO READ: ‘He was a nobody when we dated’: Blaq Diamond star Ndu Browns’ ex
In October last year, the music group dragged Ambitiouz to the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg as the record label was threatening to delete their YouTube channel account.
At the time, Ambitiouz had removed the group’s hit song Qoma (featuring Big Zulu) from YouTube.
In addition, the interdict was to prevent any further copyright or ownership battle for their songs IIanga and Fireworks with any other digital streaming platform such as Spotify, iTunes and Deezer.
ALSO READ: Blaq Diamond takes Ambitiouz to court over hit song removal
CONTRACTUAL DISPUTE
According to Sunday World, the popular record label says the duo “unlawfully” terminated its contracts and continue getting paid for gigs behind the stable’s back.
Blaq Diamond’s first contract with Ambitiouz was signed in 2017 and renewed in 2020 before the group left the company in January last year.
The outlet reported that in the letter, the artists said in addition to surrendering their royalties, they would “sign over all the sales, streams royalties, and publishing” of their music released under Ambitiouz to the label.
This also included all the monies for their BET Isono soundtracks, the music featured on How To Ruin Christmas and their Russian Bear endorsement deal.
ALSO READ: ‘They owe us four albums!’: Blaq Diamond fails to honour contract
However, Ambitiouz boss Kgosi Mahumapelo rejected their offer and said he would sue them for breach of contract because the contract was not terminated by mutual agreement.
“He held a zoom meeting with them and gave them a sales report which showed that they have R1.6-million in the kitty but the loans they obtained from the stable were more than that amount.
“He also told them their demands for him to take royalties from their songs did not make sense as he was entitled to 50% of the royalties generated from their songs anyway,” said an Ambitiouz executive.
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