IU Finds Whistleblower for Defamation... Accelerates Compensation Lawsuit

Identification of Copyright Infringement Complainant
Agency May File Additional Lawsuits

The individual who filed a police complaint against singer IU (real name Lee Ji-eun) on charges of copyright infringement has been identified. The agency views the related complaint as an attempt to "smear" and is currently pursuing a damages lawsuit against the complainant.

According to Newsis on the 21st, the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul submitted the personal information of a person presumed to be the complainant, Mr. A, to the Seoul Central District Court, where a civil lawsuit is ongoing, earlier this month.

Singer IU [Photo by Yonhap News]

Last September, IU's side filed a damages lawsuit claiming about 30 million won, listing the defendant as "unknown person" because they could not identify Mr. A. Subsequently, through the court, they proceeded with a document submission request to the investigative agency to obtain the complainant's personal information.

After three months of investigation, the police reportedly submitted a fact-finding response letter to the court. Based on this, IU's side is said to be proceeding with additional verification procedures after filing a request to correct the party's designation to identify Mr. A's identity.

With the identification of complainant Mr. A three months after filing the lawsuit, the damages claim lawsuit is expected to proceed more swiftly. Given IU's side had previously announced a strong response including defamation claims, there is also a possibility of further legal procedures.

In May, the Gangnam Police Station received a complaint from Mr. A alleging that IU infringed on music copyrights. The songs involved were six tracks: "Good Day," "Pink Shoes," "BBIBBI," "Gayeowo," "Bu," and "Celebrity." Mr. A is known to be an ordinary citizen, not the original copyright holder.

However, IU only participated in composing "Celebrity" among the six songs and produced "BBIBBI." Under copyright law, copyright infringement requires participation in the creative act (composition).

[Photo by Idam Entertainment]

IU's legal representative reportedly submitted materials to the investigative agency indicating that the parts Mr. A raised issues about in the song "Celebrity," the only one IU composed, differ from the parts IU participated in.

After reviewing the related materials, the police decided to dismiss Mr. A's complaint in August. A dismissal means the case is closed due to procedural issues in the accusation or complaint process.

Following this, IU's agency, EDAM Entertainment, regarded Mr. A's complaint as an attempt to "smear IU" and announced a strong response, subsequently filing a damages claim lawsuit.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.