Big Hit Wins BTS Portrait Rights Case, Defendant Faces $16K Daily Fine
Big Hit Entertainment has won a copyright case concerning BTS‘s exclusive portrait rights.
According to Hankook Ilbo, an unnamed company was found guilty of selling BTS packages (containing photobooks, jewelry, and more) to overseas buyers for 420,000 KRW ($356 USD) each. The packages were produced and sold without Big Hit Entertainment’s consent.
These packages were easily misidentified as official products, having used BTS’s trademarks and photos. False “official” statements, such as, “part of our sales revenue will be donated in the name of BTS” were also included in the packages.
Big Hit Entertainment filed an injunction, including a prohibition of sales, claiming that the company infringed on BTS’s trademark rights and caused damage to BTS’s reputation by selling products that can be confused with official merchandise.
On October 17, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of BTS and Big Hit Entertainment. The company in question was ordered to stop manufacturing and selling BTS products. If the company fails to comply, they must pay Big Hit Entertainment 20,000,000 won ($16.9K USD) per day.
