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New Zealand Prime Minister thinks Planet Key satirical song & video quite professional as creators forced to take NZ Electoral Commission to the High Court over ruling!

TV3 News story of broadcast ban and Prime Ministers view

TVNZ News story on Planet Key challenging Electoral Commission ruling in High Court.

It is not everyday you get the country's leader complimenting your work on the National News. Jeremy Jones from Propeller Motion created the animated video for Wellington musician Darren Watson's song Planet Key. After over 150,000 views online and the song reaching #5 on the New Zealand single charts the Electoral Commission of New Zealand ruled the song and video were both a political program and an electoral advertisment requiring Darren Watson & Jeremy Jones to register as 3rd Party Political Promoters and add an audible promoters statement to song and visual promoter statement to video. Failure to agree with this ruling meant Darren & Jeremy had no choice but to take down video from vimeo & u-tube plus remove the offending song from sale on itunes.

 

Jeremy & Darren recently challenged the ruling of the New Zealand Electoral Commission under urgency in the High Court, Wellington on the 11th September 2014. Jeremy & Darren were supported by a legal team that represented the pair in the High Court pro bono and received the financial support of concerned citizens through the fundraising website Pledge Me to assist with filing fees and other costs. The Judge was unable to make a ruling on this case before the election however Jeremy & Darren are encouraged by the time taken by the High Court to carefully consider their ruling as this will set a prescedent for the basic human right of freedom of expression in the future for New Zealanders.

 

News of this ruling by the New Zealand Electoral Commission made international news including this story in the US Billboard Magazine.

 

STORY UPDATES

 

Commission's song and dance about nothing

NZ Herald Thursday Apr 9, 2015

 

Electoral Commission lodge appeal over 'Planet Key' song ruling

NZ Herald Friday May 1, 2015

 

TV3 News story on Planet Key High Court challenge.

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