Children's book series faces criticism for publishing biographical editions about K-Pop idols without permission, publisher argues 'freedom of publication'

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A popular children’s book series known as ‘Who?‘, a series featuring biographical stories and cartoons about famous figures in history, may be facing legal repercussions for publishing biographical issues about K-Pop idols without permission.

Published by Dasan Books, the ‘Who?’ series features famous figures ranging from every South Korean president in history to the presidents of other countries around the world, globally renowned athletes, and of course, celebrities.

The series has even published numerous editions about top K-Pop stars, including BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, IU, IVE, and more. What has recently come to attention is that the series publishes biographical editions about these top K-Pop stars without obtaining permissions from the stars themselves or from their management companies.

In fact, the ‘Who?’ series bypasses existing laws regarding the rights to publish portraits of certain figures by using realism-based illustrations. Dasan Books maintains the position that these editions “do not infringe on the rights of the artists” and “follow legal guidelines”.

Previously in 2015, professional baseball player Ryu Hyun Jin sued Dasan Books for publishing a biographical edition about him without permission. However, the court ruled in favor of Dasan Books at the time, citing “freedom of expression” and “freedom of publication” as reasons for the lawsuit’s dismissal.

10 years have passed since then, and Dasan Books may not be able to get away with its “freedom of publication” for much longer. In 2022, the South Korean court revised certain sections of the ‘Unfair Competition Prevention Law‘ to protect the names and images of K-Pop artists promoting on the global stage. These revisions strengthened the rights possessed by K-Pop stars regarding the use of their names and images for commercial profit, although it remains to be seen if the court will overturn its decision from 2015.

It’s believed that the management agencies of top K-Pop stars are currently reviewing the necessary steps to pursue legal action against Dasan Books and the ‘Who?’ series.