Zuko Komisa

The restaurant group Life and Brand Portfolio is facing criminal charges from the South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA) at the Woodstock Police Station for not paying the relevant licence fee for music that SAMPRA oversees on behalf of its members.
The group owns eateries including Harbour House, Grand Africa, La Parada, Tiger’s Milk, Lucky Fish and Chips, Live Bait, The Lookout, and Old Town Italy.
There has been widespread uproar on social media by artist who have complained about the flauting of regulations by the establishments.
Artists have raised this issue of unpaid royalties and their music being played in restaurants and establishments.
— Modibe Vladimir Modiba (@mmodiba10) March 4, 2024
La Parada and Tigers Milk refuse to pay SAMPRA the millions they owe in royalties. #LifeAndBrandPayUp pic.twitter.com/cSFsWecwzS
According to SAMPRA, these restaurants have been illegally playing music from record labels and recording artists in their establishments. They have declined to abide by the specified legislative provisions by failing to pay the relevant licence fees.
Also Read: 1 in 8 people are obese, and experts say 50% of SA women will be obese by 2030
The music rights group has said that royalties are an integral part of an artist’s earnings and that using intellectual property, such as music, stating that: “without permission and applicable licences is equivalent to stealing from the artists because you are deriving value without compensating the owner of the property.”
“Over the past four years, we have been earnestly trying to negotiate with Life and Brand Portfolio to pay the licence fees due as we are aware that they are using our members’ music in their establishments. Life and Brand Portfolio is, however, adamant in their stance of using music illegally and therefore depriving recording companies and artists of their right to earn income from their music”
“We have now opened a case against Life and Brand Portfolio for their illegal and unethical conduct as we cannot stand by and watch Life and Brand Portfolio exploiting the works of our recording artists. We have a duty to ensure that recording artists get what is due to them”
Pfanani Lishivha, CEO of SAMPRA.
SAMPRA takes legal action against Life Brand Portfolio Group @LaParada_ZA, @TigersMilkZA, @GrandAfrica, Old Town Italy, and others over unpaid royalties #laparadastealsfromartists #tigersmilkstealsfromartists #lifeandbrandstealsfromartists#sampraprotectsartists pic.twitter.com/pl9ou5GTve
— SAMPRA (@OfficialSAMPRA) March 4, 2024



