The singer and actor Lee Seung-gi's troublesome times continue. After marrying actress Lee Da-in and embracing their first daughter, he was enjoying a happy married life, but he also celebrated a double blessing after winning a lawsuit against his former agency. However, the joy was short-lived as he is now engaged in legal proceedings regarding unauthorized use of his portrait rights. These days, it is difficult for Lee Seung-gi to even smile comfortably.
Lee Seung-gi is taking legal action against an internet investment site that unlawfully used his portrait rights. On the 15th, Lee Seung-gi's agency, Big Planet Made Entertainment, announced, "Recently, it has been confirmed that an internet investment site unlawfully used the portrait rights of our artist Lee Seung-gi and engaged in false advertising. The site is inducing investments with phrases like referrals from acquaintances and gathering investors, and it is using Lee Seung-gi's image unlawfully, making it seem as though he is a model for the company."
Lee Seung-gi's side stated, "Accordingly, we are currently in the process of sending a notice to the site operator and proceeding with all civil and criminal legal procedures, including filing a lawsuit," and added, "Lee Seung-gi has no connection with the company in question, and we hope everyone will be especially cautious regarding the unauthorized use of portrait rights and the investment inducement that relies on it."
In this context, Lee Seung-gi's side expressed a firm stance on taking a strong approach against violations of artist rights such as unauthorized use of portrait rights. They emphasized, "We will not tolerate any illegal behavior that unlawfully uses artists' portrait rights. We will continue to take legal action without leniency to protect Lee Seung-gi's portrait rights and prevent public harm."
The unauthorized use of portrait rights is creating unnecessary issues regardless of Lee Seung-gi's intentions. Since he has been portrayed as if he is an advertising model, the agency has been vigilant to prevent any resulting damage.
Lee Seung-gi had previously been able to smile after winning a lawsuit over settlement payments against his former agency Hook Entertainment, but unexpectedly he has now become a victim of unauthorized use of portrait rights. The brief joy of winning a lawsuit quickly faded as he faced another legal challenge, preventing him from smiling freely.
On the 4th, Lee Seung-gi received a favorable ruling in the first trial of the lawsuit filed by Hook to confirm the non-existence of debt, in which the court ordered Hook to pay Lee Seung-gi 578 million won and late interest. Since 2022, there had been conflicts over settlement payments, and the court's decision favored Lee Seung-gi, allowing him to smile in the midst of the dispute with Hook.
The judgment document released by Big Planet Made Entertainment at that time stated, "The plaintiff (Hook) did not pay the settlement amount and failed to provide settlement documents, which constitutes an act of intentional or at least gross negligence that violates the obligation to properly settle record and digital music revenue with the defendant (Lee Seung-gi) and destroys the high level of trust established between the plaintiff and the defendant." It recognized that Hook had not fulfilled their legal and contractual obligations to provide Lee Seung-gi with settlement documents for over 10 years, identifying it as 'gross negligence.'
The judgment document also noted, "Given the situation where the plaintiff was managing the revenue-related materials of the defendant's record and digital music exclusively, it is unlikely that the defendant, who had a high level of trust in the plaintiff, could easily detect that a claim for settlement amount related to record and digital music revenue had arisen in light of the plaintiff's failure to fulfill their obligations regarding the management, drafting, and providing of settlement documents."
Having finally smiled after the conflict with the former agency that he had been with since debut, it seems that Lee Seung-gi can minimize damage from the unauthorized use of portrait rights through swift action.
[Photo] OSEN DB.
[OSEN]