Singer John Park’s agency is taking action after a song he created for McDonald’s on his YouTube channel, John or Park, was allegedly uploaded and distributed on overseas music platforms without authorization.
Music Farm Entertainment said Wednesday that it recently discovered that the “McDonald’s Order Rap,” written by John Park and singer-songwriter Kwak Jin-eon and composed and arranged by Park, had been registered on Spotify and YouTube music without the prior consent of the agency or the original creators.
According to the agency, the track was uploaded Nov. 2 under the title “McDonald’s” and credited to an artist named Yoyotina through Jungle Entertainment Ventures, based in Nigeria.
Music Farm said it is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the release with legal experts and is in discussions with the platforms and authorities to have the track removed and to prevent further distribution.
“Music is a valuable creative work in which the efforts and rights of creators must be respected,” the agency said in a statement. “Commercially using and distributing such work without the consent of the original creators may constitute an infringement of their rights.”
The agency added that it would first work to establish the facts and determine whether the creators’ rights had been infringed before considering further action. Music Farm said it is also reviewing additional measures to ensure that the rights of the original creators and its artists are properly protected.
The song at the center of the dispute originated from promotional content featuring Park and Kwak.
In a video released on Park’s YouTube channel on Oct. 23, the two singers took on a challenge to order food at a McDonald’s restaurant by rapping. Park’s McDonald’s order went viral for his playful delivery and lyrics, with the video racking up nearly 9 million views as of press time.
lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com
