The National Party has taken down a social media post after it got a ‘cease and desist’ cautionary letter from Newshub over its use of the organisation’s newsreaders in the clip about embattled Labour MP Stuart Nash.
The video spliced footage of Samantha Hayes and Laura Tupou reporting on the Nash scandal and encouraged people to check the National Party Facebook page at 7pm. Nash was sacked from Cabinet on Tuesday after the revelation he leaked confidential Cabinet information to two donors.
Deputy leader Nicola Willis said she hadn’t seen the video or the cease and desist letter. The video was first posted online on Monday afternoon.
But she said the post wasn’t supposed to be an advertisement. “Both political parties have from time to time used footage from both major channels and organic posts on Facebook,” she said.
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“This wasn’t intended to be an advertisement as such but a post on the National Facebook page, but we want to deal with the issue fairly.”
She wouldn’t comment on whether the post was a breach of copyright.
“We’re yet to see that so I won’t make any further comment until that’s been established.”
BRUCE MACKAY/Stuff
Nicola Willis hadn’t seen the video or the legal letter. (File photo)
The party in 2017 had to pay $600,000 damages for using Eminem’s song Lose Yourself in a campaign advert in 2014.
In November, National pulled down an Instagram video after it used a Katy Perry song “out of context” and the company behind the song asked the political party to remove it.
Newshub was approached for comment.
