Entertainers in China, Thailand and Cambodia had been 'recklessly copying' the Wonder Girls' songs, dances and even costumes, JYP Entertainment said.
'We plan to take action against overseas singers and music groups who have been recklessly copying their songs such as 'Nobody' and 'So Hot' without permission,' a JYP Entertainment spokesman told AFP.
Rampant piracy and plagiarism in the region had inflicted financial damage on foreign companies which had bought rights to use the songs, she said.
'We will consult with Sony ATV, our overseas copyright manager, on concrete measures including lawsuits,' she said.
Korean pop singers often fall victim to plagiarism in the region amid the surging popularity in recent years of Korean pop culture, a phenomenon known as the Korean Wave.
*cough* Well, regarding the Cambodian version at least, how is that any different than the countless acts that go on Korean TV and do "sexy dances" to American top-40 hits or cover them outright? Or, any different to an industry built on imitating foreign pop stars? Some have commented that the Wonder Girls' first single, after all, was derived in part from the semi-hit "Two of Hearts," and their video of "Nobody" was a throwback to The Supremes.
8 comments:
And Koreans wonder why Nintendo gives them their own specialized region code and so few games.
Anyone who makes their living off of pop music is a jackal anyways...
Also, oddly my word verification is 'suprem'
but if the WonderGirls pay royalties either to the Dreamgirls people or to the Supremes for ripping them off, while those WonderCambodians don't pay royalties to the Wondergirls...that just screws up the whole food chain, doesn't it?
The whole issue frustrates me so much I'm gonna go to jongno and buy four DVDs for 10000won.
Well, Rob, that's the issue isn't it? I'm curious how many times royalties have been paid when the flavor of the month does a Justin Timberlake song on an awards show, or does a sexy dance to Beyonce at a concert or on Star King. And that's not without bringing songs that outright steal from overseas groups (and I know there ARE cases of a Korean group/label doing things fairly, buying songs from European writers, or paying royalties to overseas acts).
And I'll just say that I think I'm fairly liberal about intellectual property and plagiarism. I don't like when people try and reserve a generic chord progression or when people stake a claim to a turn of phrase. There's nothing that can be said or done that hasn't been done a million times before, and language itself is about building upon what one has already heard. But, I'm a big fan of honesty, and when one knowingly steals from somebody else with the purpose for making money, they themselves should give credit (and royalties) where credit and royalties are due. I'm I go on Pittsburgh public access and do a little dance to "Tell Me," then I don't want a lawyer knocking on my door. But if I'm a big-time musician and I record it, sell it, and try to pass it off as my own, then I'd fully expect someone to come after me. Except, of course, people don't pay too close attention to plagiarism when one obscure country does it to another.
You can read more about the Wonder Cambodians here. Also, a Vietnamese group copied a song by DBSK, whom I have never heard of (DB-whoever, not the Vietnamese group, though I don't know them either).
When cornered on the subject of intellectual property theft, Koreans will often respond with, "We've been in such a hard situation during the last few decades."
While that's undoubtedly true, even Korea's difficulties pale in comparison to what the Cambodians have had to face, so why not cut them a little slack? What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Hmmm, which aphorism to use.... How bout "Kettle? Pot here. Come in, Kettle!" Plagiarism is a multi-gozillion dollar industry in Korea. Now they're worried about people copying what they've rightfully plagiarized? Ppppbbbbtttthhhhhbbbbtttt! The wonder girls aren't hurting. Where do you find this stuff, Brian? Keep it coming, it's great!
Here's some fun facts http://www.soompi.com/news/kpops_plague_of_plagiarism
These days, I have heard joke copied editions of craig david's insomnia and jason derulo's in my head, sang/copied by weesung and a korean dude named brian.
p/s: jason derulo's in my head sounds just like lady gaga's just dance.
Pop music are just plagiarizing each-other. >< damn
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