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Cape Town – On Thursday EFF leader Julius Malema and Cassper Nyovest were at the centre of vigorous debate around intellectual property ownership and trademarks on Twitter, after the rapper reportedly filed legal action against fellow musician Benny Mayengani for his use of the phrase #fillup which Nyovest allegedly trademarked some time ago.
The furore relates to a concert hosted by Mayengani called #FillUpGiyaniStadium in Limpopo last weekend.
HERE IS A VIDEO OF THE CONCERT WHICH JULIUS MALEMA POSTED ON HIS TWITTER ON SUNDAY:
Nyovest was reportedly unhappy about Mayengani’s use of the phrase without his permission. His management team later told The Sowetan newspaper that he would be taking legal action.
That report was published on Wednesday. On Thursday the EFF published their statement in support of Mayengani and lambasting Nyovest for his decision to pursue legal action.
The statement explains that ‘fill up’ is common everyday English and illustrates the point by saying: "Each day coffee shops and beer halls use the words ‘fill up’, in relation to water, coffee, tea, or any beverage. “
SEE THE FULL STATEMENT HERE:
Malema then reiterated his party’s statement on his own personal Twitter.
SEE THAT TWEET HERE:
When Malema was asked on Twitter why he is condemning Nyovest's legal actions instead of celebrating his successes, the political figure replied: “I celebrate Cassper Nyovest all the time but I don't have to be subjective particularly against the weak rural artists. Always on the side of the weak...”
SEE THAT INTERACTION HERE:
Nyovest has since posted a series of tweets relating to the reported legal action, ranging from promoting his next concert in December (which is called Fill Up Moses Mabhida) to thanking fans for their support.
SEE ALL OF THE RAPPER’S TWEETS HERE:
On Friday, amidst all the drama, the savvy muso released his latest music video for the song, Gets Getsa 2.0.
WATCH THAT VIDEO HERE:
