Copyright holder demands compensation from Mart Helme for using Mattiisen song in political ad

On June 8, a political advertisement was posted on the Facebook page of EKRE deputy chairman Mart Helme, with Alo Mattiisen's song "Isamaa ilu hoieldes" playing in the background. Marijita Mattiisen-Puusepp, who holds the copyright to the song, says she was never asked for permission to use it and has filed a damages claim against Helme.

The total claim amounts to 6,531.40 euros, which includes legal costs. The damages portion alone is set at 5,000 euros, a figure based on average market rates that authors typically charge for licensing similar works for political advertising. Mattiisen-Puusepp and her lawyer noted there is no fixed price list in this field, and each author sets the amount they consider fair.

She stressed that, as a matter of principle, she would never have granted permission for any party to use Alo Mattiisen's works in political advertising.

Demand still unmet

The deadline to comply with the claim passed on August 24, and Helme has still not paid. Through his lawyer, Helme responded that since he does not personally manage his Facebook page, he had done nothing unlawful and did not intend to pay the requested sum. He did not answer who actually administers the page.

Mattiisen-Puusepp and her lawyer pointed out that Helme's page is designated as an official politician's page, listing his email address and the EKRE website, making his denial of responsibility implausible. They also cited Facebook's rules, which hold the account owner responsible for ensuring the page complies with the law, regardless of who posts the content.

Mattiisen-Puusepp added that, to her knowledge, no one other than the politician themselves can create an official Facebook page for them, since the platform strictly controls this to prevent misuse of politicians' names. She said that if Helme fails to comply, they will take the matter to court — the fact of the infringement is fully proven, she said, while the amount of compensation could be contested in court. She emphasized that intellectual property is property like any other, and that damage has already been done even though the post has since been removed. At the time of publication, ERR had been unable to reach Helme for comment.