HYBE, the world’s largest K-pop company, has filed lawsuits in South Korea against seven anonymous YouTube channels. The lawsuits allege that the channels damaged the reputation of HYBE, its artists and two of its sub-labels and artists with “defamatory and harassing statements” about K-pop groups ILLIT and LE SSERAFIM.
The K-pop company has now turned to a federal court in the US, asking it to order YouTube owner Google to reveal the identities of the people behind the YouTube channels in question.
HYBE’s lawyers said they had to make the request in a US court because Korean courts don’t have jurisdiction over Google.
“Among other things, statements in these videos falsely accuse [HYBE and its label Belift Lab] and ILLIT of plagiarizing content from other artists, including a female K-pop group called NewJeans,” HYBE’s lawyers said in a filing with the US District Court for the Northern District of California on Monday (September 9).
Additionally, HYBE alleges that these YouTube channels accused LE SSERAFIM, from HYBE sub-label Source Music, “of covertly trying to mask their singing abilities during live performances.”
The accusations of ILLIT copying NewJeans are strikingly similar to claims reportedly made by Min Hee-Jin, the former CEO of HYBE sub-label ADOR, with whom HYBE has been in an ongoing conflict.
According to news reports out of South Korea, Min was reportedly upset that NewJeans, the girl group she produced, was being mimicked by ILLIT, a girl group launched by HYBE’s Belift Lab.
In April of this year, HYBE accused Min of attempting to seize control of the company, and launched an audit of Min’s activities. Min denied the accusations.
HYBE removed Min as CEO of ADOR in late August of this year.
Days later, on August 30, HYBE filed separate defamation lawsuits in Seoul Western District Court against eight YouTube channels – “Cute Rabbit Jjang,” “Enterpick,” “People Box,” “Da Issue,” “NewJeans Spam,” “Issue Tan,” and “Wangjam Issue.”
Combined, the channels have more than 270,000 subscribers.
Court documents filed with the US District Court allege that videos uploaded by these channels, starting this spring, repeatedly accused ILLIT of copying the style and dance moves of NewJeans.
Several of the channels accused ILLIT of plagiarizing their music, with two of the channels alleging that the girl group plagiarized Favorite Liar, a track by US pop-rock band The Wrecks.
Several of the channels mentioned Min Hee-Jin by name, with one channel declaring that Min is “on a different level” to “the dog guys who have a spoon in the idol world,” apparently referring to HYBE and Belift.
“While I do not know how this campaign began, it has now taken a life of its own, with multiple YouTube channels propagating these false and defamatory claims without any supporting evidence.”
Wook Ki Lee, HYBE General Counsel (in a declaration filed with US court)
Another channel criticized a news article that suggested ILLIT member Lee Won-hee “went to the hospital after suffering from malicious comments due to Min Hee-jin’s plagiarism claims.”
It’s unknown whether any of the YouTube channels in question have any connection with Min.
“While I do not know how this campaign began, it has now taken a life of its own, with multiple YouTube channels propagating these false and defamatory claims without any supporting evidence,” HYBE’s General Counsel, Wook Ki Lee, said in a declaration filed with the US court.
“Given the nature of applicants’ business, these defamatory YouTube videos have damaged applicants’ business and reputation.”
That declaration, along with HYBE’s request for the unmasking of the YouTube channels’ operators, can be read here.
In court documents, HYBE describes the people behind these YouTube channels as “cyber wreckers,” which the company defines as social media commentators who “target celebrities, politicians, athletes, and other[s]… who receive a lot of public attention, and do not hesitate to use provocative titles and expressions, mockery, and insulting language, as well as spreading false information, in order to gain high views and recognition that are directly related to their profits. They also commit extremely malicious acts, such as threatening to expose the celebrities’ weaknesses and extorting money.”
HYBE is asking the US court for the Google account IDs, along with the names and addresses, of individuals who created or logged into the YouTube channels, as well as the time zones in which those channels were most recently accessed.Music Business Worldwide
