Korean version of 'Baby Shark' wasn't plagiarized: Supreme Court
The South Korean iteration of "Baby Shark" cannot be considered to have violated the copyright law, the Supreme Court confirmed on Thursday, as it upheld an earlier court ruling against the US plaintiff's claim that accused the popular song of being plagiarized.
The country's top court confirmed the earlier ruling in the legal proceedings launched by New York-based composer Johnny Wright — known as Johnny Only — in 2015. He claimed that the globally famous song produced by the education company Pinkfong (previously named SmartStudy) had plagiarized his 2011 version of the popular children's song.
The underlying song and the characters are believed to be in the public domain, according to the New York Times, since the song has been popular among children for decades.
"In case of a new song based on a preexisting one, one needs to add sufficient revision for it to be socially accepted as a new work, in order for it to be protected as a copyrighted material. ... Minor changes added to the original material cannot be considered an original creative work, and thus cannot be protected by the copyright law," the court said in its ruling.
Both the works of Wright and Pinkfong Company are based on the well-known children's song, which had been arranged into different versions multiple times before. The versions of the songs can be traced back to the 20th century, often used at children's summer camps and kindergartens in the form of a sing-along.
Wright released his version of the song, targeting toddlers by removing elements that could be interpreted as violent. He claimed that the Korean company's version is directly derivative of his version, but Pinkfong Company claimed that its version was an arrangement of the original song.
Pinkfong Company's version of "Baby Shark" has become a global hit via YouTube since its 2016 release. It became the first YouTube video to achieve 10 billion views, and is currently the most-watched video on the platform with over 16 billion views.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
10 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Classic comic 'Kkeobeongi' to become short-form animation
Beloved four-panel newspaper makes AI-powered comeback on Naver Webtoon, 55 years after debut Long before webtoons became Korea's cultural export powerhouse with their vertical scrolling format, kids in the '60s and '70s got their daily dose of comics tucked into newspaper corners. They would flip straight to the four-panel strips featuring a goofy kid with perpetually droopy eyes and a bald patch on the side of his head. That character was Kkeobeongi, created by the legendary cartoonist Gil Chang-deok (1930-2010). Fifty-five years after his debut, this lovable goofball is being reimagined with artificial intelligence and turned into short-form animation for a brand-new generation. Content company KCD Company announced Thursday its reboot project for the classic character. Founded last year by Gil's daughter Gil Hye-yeon to manage the late cartoonist's copyright, the company is breathing new life into the old strips as part of a wider intellectual property expansion. The company said it is using AI technology to transform the static four-panel comics into moving animations. The updated shorts will roll out on Naver Webtoon's new Cuts platform. The project is backed by the state-run Gyeonggi Content Agency, with Seoul Webtoon Academy Chairman Park In-ha serving as project director. Kkeobeongi had quite the run as a fixture of children's comics — starting in Manhwa Kingdom magazine in 1970, moving to the children's edition of The Joongang Ilbo from 1973 to 1977, and then running in The Chosun Ilbo's children's section from 1980 to 1990. All told, the mischievous kid appeared in 1,584 episodes over two decades. The series doubles as a snapshot of Korea's scrappier years. Episodes capture milestones in the country's development, like the opening of Seoul's first subway line in 1974. In one strip, the kid's aunt splurges on exotic treats—pizza and bananas, both considered luxuries back then — but poor Kkeobeongi is too sick to eat them. In another, he sneaks a sip of his dad's prized Coca-Cola, also a rare indulgence at the time, only to get busted. These little vignettes offer glimpses of a country far removed from today's prosperity. The revival also includes publishing complete collections of Kkeobeongi's newspaper and magazine runs, along with reissues of Gil's other beloved works like "Lady Soon-ak-jil," "Jae-dongi" and "Go-jip-se." The team is even recreating Gil's playful handwriting as a custom typeface called the "Gil Chang-deok font" for use in the animations. 'Gil Chang-deok is one of the most cherished cartoonists in Korean comics history,' said Park. 'His characters capture the childhood memories we all share.'
Korea Herald
11 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Anime 'Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle' storms Korean box office
Japanese franchise hit dominates presales as Korea celebrates liberation The timing couldn't be more awkward — a Japanese anime film is dominating Korean theaters just as the country celebrates its independence from Japanese colonial rule. The latest installment from the hit manga-and-anime franchise "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle" has already racked up 411,835 presale tickets, claiming 53.2 percent of all tickets sold as of Friday. At this rate, the film appears on track to sell nearly one million tickets before its Aug. 22 release. With exclusive premium screenings scheduled this weekend, some corners of social media are calling out what they see as tone-deaf timing. While Korea commemorates liberation from Japanese occupation, audiences are flocking to a franchise that critics say has fraught associations. Complaints have ranged from the design of the protagonist's earrings, which allegedly resemble the Rising Sun flag — viewed in Korea as a symbol of Japanese militarism and colonial oppression — to its Taisho-era (1912–1926) setting, which coincides with imperial expansion. Even the titular Demon Slayer corps itself has drawn comparisons to wartime student soldiers with its teenage ranks. Last week, tensions spilled over when the LG Twins, a local baseball team, had to scrap plans to have "Demon Slayer" characters throw the ceremonial first pitch at their Aug. 9 game. The backlash was swift and charged, with many calling the promotion inappropriate so close to Liberation Day on Aug. 15. Still, Korean audiences have proven time and again that they can separate art from politics. Back in 2021, the franchise's first theatrical release, "Mugen Train," pulled in 2.2 million Korean viewers despite being dogged by the same controversies. This was in a country that, just two years earlier, had staged boycotts so intense during a trade dispute that Japanese beer sales plunged 97 percent and car sales 57 percent in a single month. "Infinity Castle" kicks off a trilogy wrapping up the anime adaptation of Koyoharu Gotouge's mega-hit manga, following protagonist Tanjiro and his demon-slaying crew into their ultimate showdown in the villain's fortress. It picks up right after the anime's fourth season, which wrapped in May 2024. The film has already been a sensation in Japan, shattering records since its July 18 opening. It scored the biggest opening day ever with 1.64 billion yen ($11 million), the biggest single day with 2 billion yen, and the best three-day debut with 5.52 billion yen, ultimately grossing 22 billion yen to become the country's sixth highest-grossing film of all time. Meanwhile, "Mugen Train" — the 2020 release based on an earlier narrative arc — still holds the all-time Japanese box office crown with 40.43 billion yen in ticket sales. Its runaway success during the COVID-19 pandemic cemented "Demon Slayer" as a global juggernaut and paved the way for this trilogy's record-breaking run.
Korea Herald
12 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Blackpink releases behind-the-scenes of 'Deadline' world tour concert in Goyang
Put Blackpink's Jennie, Rose, Lisa and Jisoo on stage, and they couldn't look happier. The four-member act has released behind-the-scenes footage of its "Deadline" world tour that kicked off in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on July 5. The concert was the first time the full group had performed since wrapping up its "Born Pink" world tour in September 2023. In the video released on the group's official YouTube channel on Thursday, the four members support each other and keep their spirits high for the stage. The footage also shows scenes of how they practiced for their concert, such as fine-tuning their choreography, to make their stages flawless. On the day of the show, Blackpink seemed both nervous and excited before hopping on the stage, shouting a loud cheer to boost their energy. Meanwhile, Blackpink's "Deadline" tour is scheduled to visit 16 cities across the globe. The group will perform at Wembley Stadium in London on Friday and Saturday, becoming the first-ever K-pop female act to headline the legendary venue.
