The South Korean government was forced to introduce ‘choreography copyright guidelines’ following the ongoing dispute between HYBE and Ador CEO Min Hee Jin.
After learning that HYBE was allegedly stealing their most recent choreography for NewJeans for a fast food commercial, the performance directors for NewJeans finally spoke out against HYBE stealing their work for ILLIT.
In the statement in their IG story, the director stated:
“Huh? Really? Even the commercial choreography? I’ve been holding it in for a while, but isn’t it too much to say it’s a coincidence? Yes, it can be similar! But usually, if you refer to it, they change it a little bit due to courtesy, but this is all copied.”
NewJeans Performance Director IG Update
Huh? Really? Even the commercial choreography? I've been holding it in for a while, but isn't it too much to say it's a coincidence? Yes, it can be similar! But usually, if you refer to it, they change it a little bit due to courtesy, but… pic.twitter.com/yoLOVb5hMw
— NewJeans Loops 🐇 (@newjeans_loop) May 13, 2024
Performance Director blackqworld:
I've been holding it in with those thoughts, but I didn't know we'd even go to the commercial choreography
It was never easy for someone to suffer like this.. pic.twitter.com/abFai9b1Q3
— NewJeans Loops 🐇 (@newjeans_loop) May 13, 2024
While the other said, “I’ve been holding it in with those thoughts, but I didn’t know we’d even go to the commercial choreography. It was never easy for someone to suffer like this..”
For a while now, choreography has been exempt from copyright laws. Recently, the government started developing guidelines for choreography copyright in response to the controversy surrounding popular girl groups’ plagiarism.
Although “creative choreography” is permitted by law to be used as a “theatrical work,” registration standards and procedures are not clear. In order to safeguard copyright, the Copyright Association was recently established under the leadership of choreographers, coinciding with the rise in popularity of “K-pop choreography.”
“Even if the performance goes well, I don’t get any benefits at all… My rights as a creator arise naturally the moment I choreograph the choreography,” says Leah Kim, president of the Korea Choreography Copyright Association.
According to reports, in keeping with this, the government and the President’s Office have also started working on “guidelines” pertaining to choreography copyright. “The system must support it as the concept of’music content’ has changed,” a government official stated, adding, “We plan to distribute it within this year.”
The guidelines are anticipated to comprise standards for contracts and copyright fee computation techniques, as well as criteria for evaluating choreography’s originality, based on the findings of the ongoing “Policy Study on Strengthening Choreography Copyright Protection.”
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