"Claims of Aileat Plagiarism Are False"
...Allegations of Defamation
Belif Lab, a label under HYBE and the agency of the group Aileet, has filed a lawsuit seeking damages in the hundreds of millions of won against the operator of NewJeans fandom 'Team Bunnies.' The company claims that false posts alleging Aileet plagiarized NewJeans have damaged its reputation and caused business losses.
According to legal sources on December 15, Belif Lab filed a damages lawsuit worth 100 million won with the Seoul Western District Court on December 11 against the operator of Team Bunnies and the operator's parents, who have a duty to supervise the minor. The operator is reportedly underage, and the case has not yet been assigned to a judge.
Belif Lab argues that Team Bunnies posted false statements, such as allegations of plagiarism by Aileet of NewJeans, by pointing out similarities in certain concepts. The company claims these posts defamed Aileet and its agency, resulting in business losses.
Team Bunnies is one of the NewJeans fandoms and began its activities on X (formerly Twitter) in September of last year. At the time, the official account described the group as "a team of Bunnies active in various fields such as law, media, finance, culture, and the arts."
Subsequently, in November last year, Team Bunnies filed a criminal complaint against Belif Lab CEO Kim Taeho after he stated in a media interview that "the planning proposals for Aileet and NewJeans are completely different." Team Bunnies said, "Despite possessing the full planning proposals and audio recordings, they refuse to acknowledge any wrongdoing," and expressed deep regret at what they called the "brazen attitude" of Belif Lab's management.
However, in a recent lawsuit filed by NewJeans members to confirm the validity of their exclusive contract with ADOR, the court ruled that "it is difficult to see Aileet as having copied NewJeans' concept."
Accused of Violating the Act on the Collection and Use of Donations... Underage Operation Revealed
Meanwhile, Team Bunnies raised more than 50 million won through online fundraising under the pretext of "reporting malicious posts against NewJeans," but it was revealed that they had not completed the required registration process with the relevant authorities. As a result, they were accused of violating the Act on the Collection and Use of Donations. During the police investigation, it was confirmed that the operator was a minor, referred to as A.
As the controversy grew, Team Bunnies announced through their official account on November 12 that "the group was operated solely by one underage individual" and apologized for the lack of experience in management.
On November 17, they reported having been investigated by the police for violating the Act on the Collection and Use of Donations. The case was subsequently closed at the Seoul Family Court with Protective Disposition No. 1, after the court acknowledged "the use for a good purpose" and "the appropriateness of the usage details." Protective Disposition No. 1 is the lowest level of juvenile protection, which entrusts the minor to the care of a guardian or a substitute guardian.
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