Warkop DKI lookalikes appear. Parody or copyright infringement?

Who doesn’t know Warkop DKI? This comedy troupe, which was popular in the 1970s, is still celebrated until today and has even been re-popularised through the Warkop DKI Reborn 1-4 series.

The name Warkop is taken from the Prambors Radio programme titled "Relax at Coffee Shops", while the word DKI is an abbreviation of the troupe members: Dono (deceased), Kasino (deceased) and Indro. 48 years after they were coined, remarks such as "gengsi dong", "jangkrik boss", and the most popular "bego dipelihara, kambing dipiara biar gemuk", are still often used by netizens to this day.

The recent appearance of three young men, Alfin, Sepriadi and Alfred, who are said to be the lookalikes of the Warkop DKI members, caused a stir among the public, dividing them into the pros and the cons. That is because after going viral on social media (Instagram and TikTok), the three young men created their own YouTube channel named Sketsa Warkopi.

They appeared in 90s style outfits and used dubbing in the styles of Dono, Kasino and Indro. This was what caught the attention of the public, including Indrodjojo Kusumonegoro, familiarly called Pakde Indro, the only Warkop member who is still alive.

Indro explained in an Instagram comment that, “Warkop DKI is under the protection of Intellectual Property Rights (HKI) which is passed on to the children of the Warkop members. Those you mentioned are very, very coordinated and managed. So, you can judge for yourself where the error is. It's a shame, actually, that they became an object of their boss.”

The Copyright Law provides exclusive protection to the creator or the right holder to use a work economically and to obtain moral rewards. The law also gives authority to creators to protect their rights in the event of a violation.

As reported by CNN Indonesia, Indro explained that his side did not want to explain whether this matter would be handled legally, but this action has legal consequences. Even so, he said, "I just want to talk about ethics." In another comment on Instagram, he wrote, "If you are genuine and really a fan of Warkop, you should know the MORAL of Warkop DKI."

He wrote another comment that, "I should be offended that some people unethically, in a coordinated manner, stated that they look like Warkop... without saying anything to the real person...(the one being imitated)."

Responding to the brouhaha of the past few days, the three young men finally spoke up in a video titled “This is the awaited new comedy sketch !! warkopi” uploaded to their account. Answering the question about their next step after getting reprimanded by a legend, Alfin, the one who was said to resemble Indro, explained that they will continue "Sketsa", but in a different way from before. "It will not carry the name of Warkop DKI. We will show our own creativity," he said.

In the same video, when asked whether they and their management will show goodwill and visit Indro, Alfin said that their management has communicated well via email.He also emphasised that he did not want to talk further about this matter so as not to cause misunderstandings.