Government was ready to take legal action over Count on Me copyright claims: Edwin Tong

[Chewy_fox]

SINGAPORE: The Government was prepared to initiate legal proceedings over ownership claims of national song Count on Me, Singapore, said Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong on Monday (Apr 5).

He was responding in Parliament to a question by Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai (PSP) on the actions the Government has taken to protect Singapore’s copyright on the song. Indian composer Joey Mendoza had claimed he wrote the nearly identical We Can Achieve three years before Count on Me, Singapore.

Mr Tong said the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) first received feedback that We Can Achieve had been featured in several videos, with some apparently of Indian schoolchildren.

The song was noted to be “almost identical” to Count on Me, Singapore, with some minor differences. The students appeared to be expressing love for their country and the song was not “disrespectfully treated”, he said.

Subsequently, the publisher of We can Achieve acknowledged that the song appeared to have been "substantially copied", apologised and removed the videos from their platforms.

“We did not believe that there was any ill will or malice intended, and hence accepted their apology,” said Mr Tong.

Later, Mr Mendoza claimed that he had written We Can Achieve in 1983, which the ministry found to be an “untenable assertion”, given its similarity to Count on Me Singapore.

“If his claim was right, it would be a direct affront to our own ownership and interest in the national song Count on Me, Singapore,” said the minister.

“We thus pressed Mr Mendoza to substantiate his claims. If he could not, then he should withdraw them. We were prepared to initiate legal proceedings, if necessary, to protect our position.”

READ: Indian composer withdraws claims to Count on Me, Singapore, apologises for ‘confusion caused’

In addition, the ministry undertook “extensive fact-checking” to refute Mr Mendoza’s claims, said Mr Tong, and obtained evidence of Mr Hugh Harrison composing Count on Me, Singapore.

In response to MCCY’s request for proof, Mr Mendoza retracted his claims and informed his associates and their networks to remove the song.

“We have thus let the matter rest on this basis,” said the minister

Edited May 22, 2021 by Chewy_fox

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