Arap Marindich Seeks Lawyer in Pursuit of Firms Using Viral Meme

Viral TikTok comedians Arap Marindich and Tula Chemoget
Viral TikTok comedians Arap Marindich and Tula Chemoget
Courtesy

Kenyan comedian Arap Marindich has stated that he is seeking the services of a lawyer to go after companies that used their memes for commercial purposes.

Speaking to Citizen TV on Saturday, August 6, Marindich - whose memes have been used across the world- cited a statement issued by the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) warning corporates from using the viral photos without consent. 

"I read the message from the government on Facebook. Anybody who wants to use the images should come and have discussions with us first. For those companies who use our images, we shall do a follow-up.

Comedian Arap Marindich, whose videos have gone viral
Comedian Arap Marindich, whose videos have gone viral
Courtesy Arap Marindich

"I am currently looking for a lawyer who can help me pursue the matter," he stated.

On the other hand, Marindich's counterpart - Tula Chemoget stated that they do not have any problem with their fans using images on their social media platforms.

"I think they (KECOBO) were targeting companies who were using our images for commercial use," Tula reiterated.

The duo made the remarks a day after the copyright board issued a statement regarding the meme that went viral globally. 

In regard to being approached by companies for deals, he stated that they have not signed any contract yet. However, he hinted at firms expressing interest in their work. 

Further, the comedian spoke on the idea behind the viral video which was turned into a meme.

"Everybody thinks that we were in Naivasha but the truth is we shot the video in Rongai. We looked for a location with a forest. Once we put the video on social media, we went viral.

"We never thought we would go international that is why we did the skit in the Kalenjin dialect. I wish we would have done it in Kiswahili or English," he stated. 

Manvir Baryan navigated by Drew Sturrock driving Ford Fiesta goes through the competitive stage at Chemweno farm in Moi Ben, Uasin Gishu during the KCB Eldoret Rally on October 08, 2016.
Manvir Baryan navigated by Drew Sturrock driving Ford Fiesta goes through the competitive stage at Chemweno farm in Moi Ben, Uasin Gishu during the KCB Eldoret Rally on October 08, 2016.
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