The clip, directed by filmmaker M-J Delaney, had been viewed hundreds of thousands of times since it was posted last month, but because no permission had been granted to use music from the original composition, EMI was able to instruct YouTube to take down the copyright infringing content.

EMI Publishing represents four of the seven people credited with writing the original Empire State Of Mind: Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Angela Hunte and Janet Sewell.

In a statement EMI says, "When a ...