‘Idol trademark’ is a ‘golden egg of temptation’ that is not easy to give away.

《Yoon Jun-ho’s Rebirth》

Reporter Junho Yoon of Ten Asia introduces trends in the entertainment industry. Let's look back at what the heightened needs of viewers are from the perspective of the MZ generation and what made it popular or uncomfortable with the public.

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Brave Girls changed their group name to Brave Girls. On the other hand, Infinite continues to operate under its previous name even after leaving the agency. The difference between the two groups is whether or not the previous agency exercised its trademark rights.

Brave Girls recently signed a contract with Warner Music Korea. Additionally, the previously used team name Brave Girls was changed to Brave Girls. Brave Girls' Brave follows the mission of their previous agency, Brave Entertainment. This was to reveal the identity of the agency's president at the time, Brave Brothers.

It must have been burdensome for Brave Girls members to use their previous team name. As I left the company and started anew, I had to let go of my previous feelings. There is also a practical reason. Brave Entertainment applied for a trademark for ‘Brave Girls’ in April 2021. If the trademark is registered after review, the group's name will be owned by Entertainment for 10 years.

Entertainment companies applied for trademark rights because they judged the group name to be valuable as a brand. Accordingly, groups that leave the company at the end of their contract period cannot use the name they used at the time of their activities.

However, it is an awkward situation for the idol group. Since all trademark rights are held by the company, if you leave the company, you actually have to use a new name. Throwing away a name that is known both internally and externally and starting anew means that there is a great burden. The group name serves to tie each member to the existing agency.

Idol groups usually sign seven-year contracts. I will leave the company unless my contract is renewed. The company's trademark exercise period is guaranteed for 10 years. If you file your trademark application later, the period may be extended.

Unauthorized use of trademark rights can result in criminal punishment of up to 100 million won and a fine of up to 7 years. The reason for designating trademark rights is generally to prevent unauthorized use in advertising and promotion. In fact, the rights to exercise the 'Brave Girls' trademark are diverse, including clothing, cosmetics, stationery, food, and goods. In terms of economic value, hundreds of millions to billions are expected.

There is also a group that has filed a lawsuit against the company to protect its name. In the first place, there were idols who changed their team name and re-debuted. For an idol, it is not easy to abandon a name that has been known for many years. There are also entertainment companies that are aware of this and are considerate.

This is the story of Infinite, who is making a comeback to celebrate their 13th debut anniversary. The only thing that changed was that it came from Woollim Entertainment. Infinite members dispersed after their exclusive contract with Woollim Entertainment ended. Afterwards, he formed ‘Infinite Company’ and resumed his activities.

Lee Jung-yeop, CEO of Woollim Entertainment, transferred the trademark rights free of charge to coincide with leader Sunggyu's birthday, April 21st. This is because we wanted their activities regardless of realistic profits or economic value. However, such incidents only occur in a very small number of cases.

In the industry, the majority of idols still leave without their names taken away. The name of the group they made known cannot be written overnight. As the rights to the group name are protected through trademark rights, it is also necessary to protect those who leave the company.

Reporter Junho Yoon, Ten Asia delo410@tenasia.co.kr