STARSHIP Entertainment has withdrawn its request to cancel the trademark registration of IVE, acknowledging that the action was taken independently by its agent without prior consultation.
On October 2, STARSHIP stated, “We have confirmed that the action was carried out by an agent independently, without prior consultation with our company. Upon recognizing this, we immediately reviewed the legality of the procedure and promptly withdrew the petition. We deeply regret the confusion caused to many people.”
The agency added, “While protecting our artists’ rights is paramount, we also respect the rights and efforts of those who have diligently run their businesses for a long time. We will manage our procedures more carefully to prevent a recurrence and do our utmost to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.”
The controversy began when Mr. A, the owner of the leather goods brand I Bread Goods, publicly voiced his grievance on October 30. He claimed that STARSHIP had filed a petition for trademark cancellation against his brand on September 19.
Mr. A stated, “My trademark, ‘I Bread Goods,’ was registered in 2019 for four product categories. IVE debuted in 2021. Even though the business is currently on hiatus, I must protect my brand.”
Under current trademark law, if a registered trademark has not been used for more than three years, interested parties may file a petition for its cancellation due to non-use. STARSHIP’s agent may have mistakenly believed that Mr. A’s business had ceased operations.
Meanwhile, IVE is set to hold the second leg of their world tour, 'SHOW WHAT I AM,' at Seoul’s KSPO DOME from October 31 to November 2.
SEE ALSO: IVE appears on U.S. morning show “We’re so excited for our North America tour!”
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