HYBE Shares Updates On Legal Proceedings For Their Artists

Jun 29, 2023

HYBE artists have given updates on the legal proceedings against those who spread malicious posts.

On June 29, artists under HYBE including BTS, TXT, SEVENTEEN, fromis_9, Hwang Minhyun, Baekho, ENHYPEN, LE SSERAFIM, and NewJeans each posted a statement updating on their legal proceedings against malicious postings.

BTS

"Hello.
This is BIGHIT MUSIC.

Our company regularly initiates legal proceedings against perpetrators of malicious activities related to BTS, including defamation, personal attacks, sexual harassment, the spread of groundless information, and ill-intentioned criticism. We would like to provide an update on these activities.

To strengthen the protection of artist rights, we have recently upgraded the system we use to monitor and collect evidence of malicious postings in real time. We have filed several criminal complaints with law enforcement agencies based on evidence submitted by our fans as well as collected through our internal monitoring system.

All malicious postings that damage the artist’s image with ill intent, including insults targeting individual members as well as ridicule and defamation on a team-level, are subject to criminal complaints. We would like to inform you that we are taking strong measures against malicious postings related to all members, including the members who are currently fulfilling their military service.

BIGHIT MUSIC regularly collects information on malicious postings regarding BTS, reports them to the authorities, and takes legal action. We would like to stress that such strict measures will continue in order to prevent these illegal behaviors toward our artists from being repeated, and our policy of no settlement and no leniency remains in effect.

We ask that our fans make continued use of our legal affairs hotline ([email protected]) to report any cases of abuse.

We are always grateful for the affection and dedication shown by the fans of BTS. BIGHIT MUSIC will continue to work to ensure that the rights of our artists are fully protected.

Thank you."

TXT

"Hello.
This is BIGHIT MUSIC.

Our company regularly initiates legal proceedings against perpetrators of malicious activities related to TXT, including defamation, personal attacks, sexual harassment, the spread of groundless information, and ill-intentioned criticism. We would like to provide an update on these activities.

Recently, we are identifying the tendencies of malicious postings with multiple defamatory postings about the artist based on completely groundless information. In addition, we found sexually harassing postings especially uploaded within a certain online community.

To strengthen the protection of artist rights, we upgraded the system we use to monitor and collect evidence of malicious postings in real time. We secured evidence about the authors and disseminators of malicious postings submitted by our fans as well as collected through our internal monitoring system.

Based on the collected evidence, we filed criminal complaints against the authors of malicious postings on the accounts of violations including personal attacks and the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes (Obscene Acts by Using Means of Communication). We are taking strong action with no settlement and no leniency under any circumstances during the legal proceedings against such invasion of artists’ rights.

We regularly collect information on malicious postings regarding TXT, report them to the authorities, and take legal action. We ask that our fans make continued use of our legal affairs hotline ([email protected]) to report any cases of abuse.

We are always grateful for the affection and dedication shown by the fans of TXT. BIGHIT MUSIC will continue to work to ensure that the rights of our artists are fully protected.

Thank you."

SEVENTEEN

"Hello.
This is PLEDIS Entertainment.

Our company regularly initiates legal proceedings against perpetrators of malicious activities related to SEVENTEEN, including defamation, personal attacks, sexual harassment, the spread of groundless information, and ill-intentioned criticism. We would like to provide an update on these activities.

To strengthen the protection of our artists and their rights, we have recently upgraded the system we use to monitor and collect evidence of malicious postings in real time. We have filed several criminal complaints with law enforcement agencies against the authors and disseminators of malicious postings, based on evidence submitted by our fans as well as collected through our internal monitoring system.

We have identified and included in the criminal complaints malicious postings on certain websites that cause harm to the artists by systematically creating and disseminating groundless information, as well as defaming and ridiculing the artists by engaging in excessive mockery targeting not only the artists themselves but also their families.

We are taking strict legal actions to address malicious postings about the artists across all channels, including social media and online communities. Our policy of no settlement and no leniency under any circumstances during the legal proceedings against such invasion of artists’ rights remains in effect.

Your interest and reports have been very helpful in taking legal action against such activities. We are always grateful for the affection and dedication shown by the fans of SEVENTEEN. We ask that you make continued use of our legal affairs hotline ([email protected]) to report any cases of abuse.

PLEDIS Entertainment will continue to work to ensure that the rights of our artists are fully protected.

Thank you."

fromis_9

"Hello.
This is PLEDIS Entertainment.

Our company regularly initiates legal proceedings against perpetrators of malicious activities related to fromis_9, including defamation, personal attacks, the spread of groundless information, sexual harassment, and ill-intentioned criticism. We would like to provide an update on these activities.

To strengthen the protection of artist rights, we have upgraded the system we use to monitor and collect evidence of malicious postings in real time. We included in the criminal complaints numerous malicious postings reported by our fans and collected through our internal monitoring system, as well as individuals who persistently made comments involving sexual harassment on live channels.

Even in cases where postings have been anonymously created and subsequently deleted, we have collected evidence through our real-time monitoring system and included those evidence in the criminal complaints. We secured the identity of an anonymous poster whom we had previously taken legal action against for postings involving sexual harassment through a police investigation, and further investigative procedures are currently underway

We would like to inform you that we will continue to take strong legal measures against malicious postings that violate our artists’ rights. Our policy of no settlement and no leniency under any circumstances during the legal proceedings against such invasion of artists’ rights remains in effect.

We regularly collect information on malicious postings regarding fromis_9, report them to the authorities, and take legal action. We ask that our fans make continued use of our hotline ([email protected]) to report any cases of abuse.

We are always grateful for the affection and dedication shown by the fans of fromis_9.
PLEDIS will continue to work to ensure that the rights of our artists are fully protected.

Thank you."

Hwang Minhyun / Baekho

"Hello.
This is PLEDIS Entertainment.

We would like to provide information on how to submit reports of actions that infringe upon the rights of Hwang Minhyun / Baekho.

Our company has decided to initiate legal proceedings against perpetrators of malicious activities targeting Hwang Minhyun / Baekho, including defamation, the spread of groundless information, sexual harassment, and ill-intentioned criticism. We ask you to report such activities, including malicious posts, to the official PLEDIS email hotline for legal affairs ([email protected]).

When submitting your report, we are able to respond more quickly if you make use of the following standard email format. Please make note of the format, and we ask that you actively report any malicious activities and posts targeting Hwang Minhyun / Baekho.

We will initiate legal proceedings based on evidence submitted by our fans as well as collected through our internal monitoring system, and no settlements or leniency will be extended to the perpetrators of such actions.

We are always grateful for the affection and dedication shown by our fans. We will continue to work to ensure that the rights of our artists are fully protected.

Thank you."

ENHYPEN

"Hello.
This is BELIFT LAB.

Our company regularly initiates legal proceedings against perpetrators of malicious activities related to ENHYPEN, including defamation, personal attacks, sexual harassment, the spread of groundless information, and ill-intentioned criticism. We would like to provide an update on these activities.

To protect the rights of our artists, we have upgraded the system we use to monitor and collect evidence of malicious postings in real time. We have filed several criminal complaints with law enforcement agencies based on evidence submitted by our fans as well as collected through our internal monitoring system.

These criminal complaints address not only authors of malicious postings that ridicule and defame the artists, but also an individual who anonymously posted derogatory content on social media platforms, including a defamatory post accompanied by a video of them communicating with the artist.

Furthermore, we are actively collecting real-time evidence to initiate legal proceedings even in instances of malicious postings on online communities that are promptly deleted after being posted. Our policy of no settlement and no leniency under any circumstances during the legal proceedings against such invasion of artists’ rights remains in effect.

We regularly collect information on malicious postings regarding ENHYPEN, report them to the authorities, and take legal action. We ask that our fans make continued use of our legal affairs hotline ([email protected]) to report any cases of abuse.

We are always grateful for the affection and dedication shown by the fans of ENHYPEN.
BELIFT LAB will continue to work to ensure that the rights of our artists are fully protected.

Thank you."

LE SSERAFIM

"Hello.
This is SOURCE MUSIC.

Our company regularly initiates legal proceedings against perpetrators of malicious activities related to LE SSERAFIM, including defamation, personal attacks, sexual harassment, the spread of groundless information, and ill-intentioned criticism. We would like to provide an update on these activities.

To strengthen the protection of artist rights, we have recently upgraded the system we use to monitor and collect evidence of malicious postings in real time. We have filed several criminal complaints with law enforcement agencies against the authors and disseminators of malicious postings, based on evidence submitted by our fans as well as collected through our internal monitoring system.

In the criminal complaints, we included postings and comments involving sexual harassment on the account of their violation of Obscene Acts by Using Means of Communication. We also recognize the gravity of malicious acts involving the creation and dissemination of digitally manipulated explicit materials incorporating the artists’ photographs, which we are addressing via legal measures.

All types of malicious slander, violent and vulgar comments that arouse aversion, and postings that engage in habitual name-calling and ridicule are also subject to legal action.

We would also like to inform you that we secured the identity of a malicious poster whom we had previously taken legal action against. Upon the prosecutor’s investigation, the poster was found guilty of defamation and received legal punishment.

We will regularly collect information on malicious postings regarding LE SSERAFIM, report them to the authorities, and take legal action. We ask that our fans make continued use of our hotline ([email protected]) to report any cases of abuse.

We are always grateful for the affection and dedication shown by the fans of LE SSERAFIM.
SOURCE MUSIC will continue to work to ensure that the rights of our artists are fully protected.

Thank you."

NewJeans

"Hello.
This is ADOR.

Our company regularly initiates legal proceedings against perpetrators of malicious activities related to NewJeans, including defamation, personal attacks, the spread of groundless information, sexual harassment, and ill-intentioned criticism. We would like to provide an update on these activities.

To strengthen the protection of artist rights, we have recently upgraded the system we use to monitor and collect evidence of malicious postings in real time. We have filed several criminal complaints with law enforcement agencies against the authors and disseminators of malicious postings, based on evidence submitted by our fans as well as collected through our internal monitoring system.

The criminal complaints address numerous malicious postings in online communities that ridicule and defame the artists, explicit and obscene materials that border on the delusional, and vulgar postings that may cause sexual humiliation and aversion.

Considering the fact that some members are legal minors, we are taking strict measures to address malicious postings that violate our artists’ rights across all available channels including social media platforms and online communities. Our policy of no settlement and no leniency under any circumstances during the legal proceedings against such invasion of artists’ rights remains in effect.

Your interest and reports have been very helpful in taking legal action against such activities. We are always grateful for the affection and dedication shown by the fans of NewJeans. We ask that you make continued use of our legal affairs hotline ([email protected]) to report any cases of abuse.

ADOR will continue to work to ensure that the rights of our artists are fully protected.

Thank you."

Source: Soompi