South Korean Government to Implement Choreography Copyright Guidelines in the Wake of NewJeans-ILLIT Scandal

The NewJeans and ILLIT plagiarism scandal has escalated to the point where even the government is getting involved.

Choreography in the K-pop industry has often been overlooked when it comes to copyright. While lyrics and music are typically protected by copyright laws, choreography has been a bit of a blind spot in terms of legal recognition and protection. 

However, with the recent controversy surrounding plagiarism allegations against popular girl groups, the government has taken notice and is now working on creating guidelines specifically for choreography copyright.

As it stands, the current law recognizes “creative choreography” as a form of “theatrical work.” However, there is a lack of clarity when it comes to the registration standards and procedures for choreography. 

Due to this uncertainty, choreography only makes up a mere 0.1% of all registered works.

With the increasing popularity of K-pop and its choreography, there has been a recent development in the form of the Copyright Association. This association, led by choreographers themselves, aims to protect the copyright of K-pop choreography.

The upcoming guidelines are expected to lay out criteria for assessing the originality of choreography, along with standard contracts and methods for calculating copyright fees. 

While the guidelines themselves may not carry legal weight, the government is optimistic that they will encourage significant involvement from major entertainment companies that are part of these contracts.