12. 09. 2004

Singer sues magazine

BELGRADE, September 12, 2004 – Robert Coban, editor-in-chief of Svet magazine is to appear in the First Municipal Court in Belgrade today on libel charges brought by singer Zeljko Joksimovic. Joksimovic’s complaint concerns and article in Svet under the headline “Into Europe through fraud: Lane Moje a plagiarism” published on March 5 this year. The article claims that the song Lane Moje, sung by Joskimovic in this year’s Eurovision song contest is a plagiarism of the song Sen Gelmez Oldun by Azerbaijan musician Alikan Samedov. The popular Serbian singer is seeking damages of seven million dinars (about 100,000 euros). According to the complaint, musicologists have confirmed that the song is not a plagiarism. Coban insists that it is and has refused to issue an apology to the singer. The defendant failed to appear at a previously scheduled hearing, his lawyer telling the court that the Svet editor was in Montenegro on business. Joksimovic also failed to appear because of international engagements.