HYBE has successfully identified one of the YouTube channel operators who maliciously defamed its artists. The label is now resuming its 280 million KRW (approximately 195,306 USD) damages lawsuit. This follows the identification of the individual through the U.S. court's discovery process. It has been confirmed that only one of the multiple defendants has been successfully identified.
According to the Seoul Western District Court, HYBE submitted a motion to amend the defendant’s details on February 20, officially identifying "Defendant 1." Previously, on August 30, 2023, HYBE, along with its subsidiaries Belift Lab and Source Music, filed a civil lawsuit seeking 280 million KRW in damages. The lawsuit was based on claims that seven YouTube channels had defamed their label artists.
The channels named in the lawsuit include 'Cute Rabbit Jjang,' 'EnterPick,' 'People Box,' 'Da Issue,' 'NewJeansFam,' 'Issue Tan,' and 'Wangjam Issue.' These channels accused Belift Lab's K-pop group ILLIT of plagiarizing other artists' content and spreading claims that LE SSERAFIM members under Source Music lacked talent.
In response, HYBE, Belift Lab, and Source Music filed a legal request on September 9, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. They sought discovery under Title 28, Section 1782 of the U.S. Code to obtain evidence from Google LLC for use in foreign legal proceedings. On November 27, Judge Donna M. Ryu approved the issuance of a subpoena.
Based on this, HYBE submitted a fact-finding report to the Seoul Western District Court on December 10, 2023, and officially identified "Defendant 1" on February 20, 2024. The defendant’s name is partially disclosed as 'Investment OOOOOOOO,' suggesting that it is a corporate entity. Given the nature of the content, it is speculated that the entity may be a commercial cyber wrecker that profits from collecting and amplifying damaging controversies.
Regarding the case, a HYBE representative stated, "We cannot comment on ongoing legal proceedings."
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