HYBE has successfully pinpointed the individual behind a YouTube channel that targeted their artists with malicious defamation. The label is now moving forward with their 280 million KRW damages lawsuit against this identified perpetrator, known as "Defendant 1." In a strategic maneuver through the U.S. court's discovery process, HYBE managed to unmask the culprit amidst multiple defendants involved.
Recent developments at the Seoul Western District Court reveal that on February 20, HYBE formally singled out "Defendant 1" by filing a motion to amend the defendant’s details. This legal action stems from a civil lawsuit initiated back on August 30, 2023, where HYBE, together with their subsidiaries Belift Lab and Source Music, sought compensation for damages caused by seven YouTube channels tarnishing their artists' reputation.
The channels implicated in the lawsuit, such as 'Cute Rabbit Jjang' and 'EnterPick,' levied plagiarism accusations against Belift Lab's K-pop group ILLIT and propagated negative claims about Source Music's LE SSERAFIM members' abilities. Responding swiftly, HYBE, Belift Lab, and Source Music sought legal assistance from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on September 9, 2023. They obtained approval to subpoena Google LLC for crucial evidence under Title 28, Section 1782 of the U.S. Code.
Subsequently, a detailed fact-finding report was submitted to the Seoul Western District Court on December 10, 2023, leading to the official identification of "Defendant 1" earlier this year. The defendant, known partially as 'Investment OOOOOOOO,' is believed to be a corporate entity potentially profiting from manufacturing and amplifying damaging online controversies.
When approached for a statement regarding the ongoing legal proceedings, a representative of HYBE cited, "We are unable to comment at this time due to the legal nature of the case."
In other news, ILLIT's breakout hit 'Magnetic' has crossed a remarkable milestone by surpassing 200 million views on YouTube, setting new records in the industry.