Aussie Company Says No One Is Paying For 'Waltzing Matilda'

Following speculation yesterday that musicians were in jeopardy of having to pay to perform Australia's unofficial anthem Waltzing Matilda, the company who partly own trademark rights to the song have assured that it will not happen. 

After Aussie music legend John Williamson slammed the idea by saying that he would "rather go to jail" then have to pay to perform the 1895  Banjo Patterson classic, Gina Boon of WM Productions said that any ideas of the company trying to take control of the song were false. 

As The Standard reports, WM Productions is currently in pre-production of a feature film entitled Waltzing Matilda and since 1998 the company have had a limited trademark on covering "film production and cinematographic goods", but Boon says they never stopped Winton Shire Council or The Waltzing Matilda Centre from any use of the song. 

It is understood that WM Productions lodged a trademark update with intellectual property rights agency IP Australia just last month in relation to protecting the film and its title from a rival production.

"That’s not going to change our agreement with the centre or the Winton Shire Council – we’re simply protecting the title of our film," Boon said. 

"This (song) is a very special part of Australia’s history and culture and this is something I'm also personally passionate about. In no way would I want to see any damage done to its name."

"(WM Productions) has no intention of, or desire to, prevent the fair and reasonable use of the name by Winton Shire Council, the Waltzing Matilda Centre or any party outside the scope of its trade mark rights."

TheMusic have reached out to Winton Shire Council for comment.