Indonesian singer-songwriter Ardhito Pramono said that his songs have appeared many times on South Korean variety shows without his permission, so often that he has wondered if they have become public domain.
The 25-year-old pop/jazz artist took to Instagram yesterday to say that he’d found out about the shows that played his songs thanks to his fans and followers. Ardhito went on to explain that he has asked his label regarding the matter, which has yet to be resolved.
Initially, Ardhito said he was proud to have his songs played in South Korea, but he became gradually irked by the thought of possible intellectual property breach.
“Seems like my songs have become public domain in [South] Korea. It’s like ‘free BGM (background music) for your eating show’,” Ardhito wrote in a post.
According to Ardhito, several of his tunes, such as Say Hello, Superstar, 925, were played in parenting variety shows. Another one of his hit songs, Bitterlove, was played in a reality cooking show titled Three Meals a Day, as seen in a fan-compiled video below:
Despite his complaints, Ardhito said he didn’t want to take legal action against the shows, as seen in one of his replies to a fan.
“Let them be for the benefit of the people, kencanayo (Gwenchanayo, Korean for “it’s okay/alright”).
Ardhito’s claims are especially relevant at the moment as the issue of music copyright is being hotly discussed after President Joko Widodo signed a decree guaranteeing local musicians royalties for commercial use of their music.
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