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Summary for: ‘Scheinherr like a diamond’: Prague party settles Rihanna song disputePrague political movement Praha sobě has agreed to stop publishing an election campaign video that adapted Rihanna’s hit Diamonds, settling a dispute with companies holding rights to the song.
Prague’s Municipal Court approved the settlement Monday. The video has already been removed from YouTube, and the movement will take it down from other online locations under its control, its lawyer František Vyskočil told reporters.
The clip featured party chairman Adam Scheinherr singing “Scheinherr like a diamond” to the song’s melody, a campaign twist on the original refrain, “shine bright like a diamond.”
Campaign clip comes down after legal challenge
Praha sobě released the video in early June ahead of the municipal elections. Rights holders A-Tempro Verlag and Schubert Music Publishing subsequently sued the movement, seeking to prevent further publication.
Under the court-approved agreement, Praha sobě will no longer publish the audiovisual work and will remove it from other online locations at the companies’ request.
Vyskočil emphasized that the settlement did not constitute an acknowledgment of copyright infringement.
“We have reached a settlement. Given that the elections are over, this dispute has become unnecessary,” he told reporters after the hearing. “There was certainly no acknowledgment that my client had committed any copyright infringement.”
Jana Kundrátová, the lawyer representing the rights holders, declined to comment.
Hospodářské noviny reported on the dispute in late September. According to the newspaper, a shorter version replaced the original YouTube upload. The original clip also appeared on the movement’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Vyskočil said Praha sobě would remove uploads it had posted itself, while distinguishing those from copies shared independently by other internet users.
“If my client, Praha sobě, posted the video there, it will remove it. If someone else posted it, then of course it is not responsible for that,” he said.
Settlement comes as coalition talks continue
Although the campaign is over, Praha sobě remains involved in negotiations over the capital’s next administration.
The movement finished third in Prague’s municipal elections, winning 13 seats in the 65-member assembly. STAN and Spolu, comprising ODS and TOP 09, each secured 17 seats. ANO won 11 and the Pirates seven.
STAN and Spolu have agreed to form a two-party administration if they cannot reach a deal with Praha sobě before November’s assembly meeting. Their combined 34 seats would give them a narrow majority.
The two groups have said they would continue negotiating with a third partner afterward. A coalition including Praha sobě would hold 47 seats.
