[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A certain Korean medicine doctor, who has become known through appearances as a panelist on numerous TV programs dealing with health information, was indicted for publishing a webtoon created by a webtoon artist under his own name without consent and has received his first trial.
According to the legal community on the 18th, Judge Joo Jin-am of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 15 held the first trial of Korean medicine doctor A, who was indicted for violating copyright law. In 2014, A commissioned webtoon artist B to produce a 24-episode diet-related webtoon to be serialized on the blog of the Korean medicine clinic he operated. However, last year, he was prosecuted for unauthorized reproduction and publication of the work as a book without the consent of the copyright owner, the artist. He is also accused of listing his own name, not B’s, as the author on the cover of the published book.
B stated that “I only produced the webtoon to be serialized on the Korean medicine clinic’s blog and refused to have the comic published as a book, but A unilaterally proceeded with the publication and put his own name on the cover, infringing on my copyright property rights.” On the other hand, A’s side denied all such allegations. A’s lawyer argued, “We negotiated the transfer of the work with B in the course of business,” and “Therefore, the copyright of the comic belongs to A.” Regarding the accusation of listing his own name as the author on the book cover, he also rebutted on the grounds that the copyright belongs to him and there is no illegality.
The court decided to hold a second trial on April 13 and to summon webtoon artist B and a patent investigation advisor from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for witness examination.
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