K-pop stars threaten to sue over use of music in ‘The Interview’

As The Interview has made its way to South Korean shores via online piracy, two K-pop artists have claimed that the film has made unauthorized use of their music. Tiger JK and Yoon Mi-rae’s (aka Tasha Reid) agency FeelGhoodMusic said Friday in a press release that the pair’s duet piece, “Pay Day,” is featured in the Seth Rogen-James Franco comedy, but a contract was never signed. About 10 to 15 seconds of the song appears in the film. A spokesperson for FeelGhoodMusic said it will take legal action against DFSB, an agency that handled talks with Sony Pictures regarding the use of the music. Tiger JK and Yoon are both pioneering hip-hop icons in Korea who are credited with introducing the genre in the country in the 1990s. The two married in 2007 and have a son.

There were initial discussions about including the song in the film score, but negotiations stopped so we were under the impression that it wasn’t happening. It was only after the film was released that we became aware of the song’s unauthorized use, without taking the appropriate and necessary steps to complete a contract with the artists.

A statement from FeelGhoodMusic

The Interview Entertainment