Business Owners Demand Refunds in Viral Drone Track Copyright Dispute
Small business owners who paid settlements to Nir Krigel over the viral drone track are demanding a 75 percent refund. Attorneys argue Krigel does not hold full copyright, citing a co-creator and prior use in a Superman film.
The legal dispute surrounding the viral audio track known as "the drone kid" is taking a dramatic turn as small business owners demand refunds. Business owners who previously received warning letters from Nir Krigel and paid him settlements are now demanding the return of a portion of those funds.
Legal Challenges to Copyright Claims
According to a report broadcast on "HaZinor", attorneys Aviv Azrad and Tsachi Peled have stepped up to represent the affected business owners. In recent days, the lawyers dispatched formal warning letters to Krigel, outlining two primary legal arguments against his past payment demands.
First, the attorneys argue that Krigel demanded compensation on the premise of owning 100% of the copyright. However, the legal counsel claims that the specific phrase in question does not belong exclusively to him and previously appeared in a 1970s Superman film. During the broadcast, the argument was summarized bluntly: "We stole from you, but you stole from Disney, right? That's the claim."
Multiple Creators and Co-Ownership
Simultaneously, the defense contends that the work features an additional creator, composer Dan Peled. If accepted by the courts, this argument means Krigel was not legally entitled to demand and receive the full compensation outlined in the previous settlement agreements.
Composer Dan Peled previously described his contribution to the track's creation:
«I created a beat with harmony and melody for the song. Actually, the song didn't really have a melody; it just had some vocal scansion that Nir does, and I essentially helped bring it to the level of a song.»
Demands for Partial Refunds
In light of these developments, the business owners are demanding the return of 75% of the funds they paid. Attorney Aviv Azrad clarified during his appearance on "HaZinor" that this is only the initial legal step and the campaign is expected to expand.
«Only after they reached a settlement did my clients discover that the work has an additional creator. You cannot demand 100% of a work when you do not hold 100% of the rights, so we are demanding the restitution of the proportional share at the very least. At the same time, the phrase that was taken is a phrase taken from an earlier work, and therefore, in our view, he holds no rights to this phrase.»
As of now, the controversy is far from over. The attorneys representing the business owners signal that additional warning letters may be dispatched, and others who already paid settlements are likely to join the collective demand for substantial financial restitution.
