LEAKED: Nomcebo Zikode set to fight back after Open Mic’s unlawful takedown of her Grammy nominated single, “Bayethe”

The label recently illegally removed Nomcebo, Zakes Bantwini, and Wouter Kellerman’s single “Bayethe” from Spotify on the same day it was announced that it had achieved the spectacular feat of being nominated for a Grammy award, in the latest development in Open Mic Production’s ongoing campaign to control Nomcebo Zikode.

According to court records linked to this email, this takedown was the consequence of Open Mic, through its attorneys MM, writing to Spotify claiming that the recording infringes on its intellectual property. Nomcebo, on the other hand, claims that Open Mic has no copyright or other intellectual property rights in the music.

As a result of this illegal removal, Nomcebo plans to take Open Mic to the South African High Court on Wednesday afternoon. The court documents attached reflect Nomcebo’s assertions that, “the takedown notice and the conduct of the respondent as set out below constitute: an injurious falsehood, an unlawful and intentional interference with my and the second applicant’s contractual and/or property rights and unlawful competition”.

Nomcebo further added: “As a result of the recording being removed from Spotify, and potentially from other platforms of which I am unaware, the second applicant and I have suffered and stand to suffer further harm, the extent of which will be difficult, if not impossible, to quantify. Furthermore, I have a reasonable apprehension that the take-down request, along with other take-down requests of which I am unaware, or which the respondent may still issue, may have a bearing on the Grammy for which I have been nominated.” She has asked the court that Open Mic be ordered to advise Spotify to reinstate the song “within 24 hours of the interim relief being granted”.

According to reports and legal documents, Open Mic has not paid Nomcebo any royalties for her contributions to the global smash tune “Jerusalema” She hasn’t earned a dime for “Jerusalema” the most-streamed African song of all time. For whatever reason, Open Mic has decided to deny Nomcebo her deserved royalties from the song’s success. Nomcebo is now fighting back.