Kakao Entertainment Files Criminal Complaint Against 'Booktokki' for Illegal Distribution of Web Novels

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] Kakao Entertainment has filed a criminal complaint against the operators of 'Booktokki,' the largest illegal web novel distribution website in Korea. This is the second legal action following a successful lawsuit last year against the illegal distribution website Eoreunai.com, organized by the global illegal distribution response task force. This is the first criminal complaint.

Kakao Entertainment announced on the 2nd that on the 29th, it filed a complaint with the Cyber Investigation Division of the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency against the operators of the Booktokki website for copyright infringement. After a large-scale evidence collection operation related to about 2,500 web novel works serialized by Kakao Entertainment, it proceeded with the strongest legal action, a criminal complaint.

Before the criminal complaint, Kakao Entertainment carried out comprehensive eradication activities targeting Booktokki. It blocked search results on global search engines to prevent searches, and also blocked access through domestic communication networks. Additionally, it directly created and operated a lure site with a domain similar to Booktokki to inform that illegal distribution is a crime, continuously disrupting operations. Ultimately, this criminal complaint was made as a method to shut down the site.

Lee Hojun, Head of Legal Affairs and Global Illegal Distribution Response TF at Kakao Entertainment, said, “In the process of eradicating illegal distribution of Kakao Entertainment IP, we expect to protect not only our IP but also valuable K-webtoons and web novels born from the Korean creative ecosystem that captivate people worldwide,” adding, “Kakao Entertainment is leading the industry with systematic responses to eradicate illegal distribution. We will continue to do our best to protect creators' rights.”