• Will GFRIEND Carry On Promoting As A Group "Again" After Winning Trademark Rights to Source Music?

    Ex-members of the disbanded group GFRIEND opened up the possibility of promoting as "GFriend". The industry's opinion is that the agency's mistakes paved the way for their activities.

    Source Music, a subsidiary of HYBE, recently requested the Korean Intellectual Property Office to apply for a trademark for "G-Friend", but received a rejection notice on July 14th. It is not a decision to dismiss, but the purpose is to amend the opinion on the trademark application.

    The applied trademark "G-Friend" is a trademark similar to "GFRIEND", the English name of the group girlfriend (Trademark Act, Article 34, Paragraph 1, No. 6). This is because there is a risk of confusion or consumer deception (Trademark Act, Article 34, Paragraph 1, No. 11).

    The products that Source Music applied for this time were 18 (bags and clothing, etc.), which were previously rejected because 3 (soap and non-medical cosmetics, etc.), 11 (sanitary devices for steam generation, etc.), and 14 (precious metals, Jewelries, etc.) was not an application for entertainment-related trademark rights.

    Nonetheless, based on the interpretation of the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the existing GFRIEND members are permitted to engage in activities not only with the English name "G-Friend," but also with the original Korean name "여자친구" which is currently held by the former agency Source Music.

    According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office, Source Music's trademark application was for "a trademark similar to the English name of 'G-Friend,' a six-member female singer group that is widely recognized by the general public."

    In a similar case, T-ara's former agency applied for a trademark application for "T-ara" and was rejected.

    Park Soo Jo, a patent attorney at Yonsei University (adjunct professor at Yonsei University), stated, "The Korean Intellectual Property Office appears to have clarified the position that, if the group is disbanded after the name of an existing famous idol group is owned by the agency, the trademark rights of the group name will belong to the group members and not the agency".

    GFriend was a six-member girl group debuted by Source Music in January 2015; however, Source Music, which was acquired by HYBE in May of last year, terminated their activities due to the expiration of their exclusive contract. It came as a surprise to the fans. The anger of the fans continued, as did the criticism that the "disbandment" was not fully agreed upon by the agency and the members.

    Source[1]

  • Lee Kyung Gyu secretly helped Hong Jin Kyung debut on TV and she didn’t even know for years

    Lee Kyung Gyu's star-making influence goes beyond Kang Ho Dong, as Hong Jin Kyung shares how he helped her kickstart her career.

    On the April 24 episode of KBS 2TV’s Problem Child in House, legendary comedian Lee Kyung Gyu appeared as a guest—and a touching story from the past was revealed.

    Hong Jin Kyung surprised everyone when she said, “He’s the teacher for all of us. Personally, he’s the one who helped me debut.” She even pinned a carnation flower on his chest to show her gratitude.

    Lee Kyung Gyu smiled and said, “I still remember when Hong Jin Kyung walked up the stairs onto the stage for the first time.”

    Hong Jin Kyung then shared her journey to becoming a star. “I joined a supermodel contest, but only the top 3 winners were noticed in broadcasting. I got a special prize, so I had no chance to be on TV."

    She continued, "At first, I was just a backup for a show. But somehow, I became a regular the next week. I never knew why."

    She added, "I thought the PD gave me a shot. But then one day, I randomly met Kyung Gyu sunbae, and he told me it was actually him who recommended me.”

    Kim Sook asked with a smile, “So Kyung Gyu sunbae said nice things about you to the PD?”

    Lee Kyung Gyu playfully replied, “Don’t say it in such a childish way,” making everyone laugh.

    He then explained more seriously, “The show was Scoop TV Entertainment, and I was pretty much the main MC. When Jin Kyung showed up, I saw her determination and passion."

    He added, "While others didn’t seem serious, she really stood out. I told the PD, ‘She seems unique. Why not keep her on the show?’”

    Kim Jong Kook chimed in, “So if the main MC said that, doesn’t that mean you basically got her in?”

    That made Lee Kyung Gyu happy. He grinned and replied, “Exactly! You speak well. Be like him!”

    He added, “After that, Jin Kyung’s career took off. She started doing shows with Lee Young Ja and just kept going.”

    Fans are now calling Lee Kyung Gyu not only a top MC, but also a quiet star-maker behind the scenes!

    Source: [1]