The Korean Intellectual Property Office and the Patent and Trademark Office are moving to protect K-Pop content.
The Korean Patent and Trademark Office expects an increase in the online distribution of counterfeit goods (merchandise, planned products launched by specific brands or celebrities) that are rising in the popularity of K-Pop, such as BTS, BLACKPINK, and more. The Korean Intellectual Property, Patent, and Trademark Office announced on the 7th that it would start cracking down on these fake goods.
Since last month, the Korean Intellectual Property Office and the Patent and Trademark Office, together with the Korea Music Contents Association and entertainment agencies, have been monitoring major online markets for counterfeit products related to K-pop.
The Korean Intellectual Property Office, in partnership with the BTS's agency, will start cracking down on and eradicating counterfeit goods related to goods at BTS's concert that will be taking place this month.
The Korean Intellectual Property Office's trademark special judicial police will jointly crackdown on fake merchandise before the performance with BTS' agency HYBE. The agency also requested fans from refraining from purchasing counterfeit goods online and purchase the goods through the company's official platform.
Earlier, the Industrial Property Special Judicial Police of the Korean Intellectual Property Office criminally filed criminal charges against four wholesalers who distributed counterfeit products related to BTS goods through online and offline channels in 2019 and confiscated 7,600 trademark infringement items.
Moon Sam Seop, director of the Industrial Property Protection and Cooperation Bureau of the Korean Intellectual Property Office, said, “To prevent the distribution of counterfeit products related to Hallyu content, we plan to continue monitoring and cracking down on trademark infringement in cooperation with the Korea Music Content Association.”
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IRL this will make zero difference. Check eBay any day and you'll see fake albums etc from places like China and Brazil sellers and even if you report them eBay won't do a damn thing about it,
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Want Hyolyn's digital only singles? How about a listing that actually states "made by fans for fans" on some jewel case CDs from Brazil. Or all those Sunmi singles the company never bothered to release from years of hits somehow in a jewel case "Greatest Hits" collection, China has you covered.
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As long as eBay ignores Kpop piracy all this is just KOMCA trying to justify their existence.
As I said, IRL this will make zero difference, especially to international fans.
There will still be Delboy in Peckham selling a fake BTS shirt from a market stall.