T-ara takes legal action against former agency over name rights
SEOUL: Girl group T-ara has taken legal action to defend its rights to the team name in a trademark dispute with its former management company, the group said Friday.
T-ara has submitted to the Korea Intellectual Property Office an official document countering MBK Entertainment’s claim to the right to the group’s Korean and English names.
It was revealed recently that the agency applied for the trademark rights on Dec 28, three days before the four members — Jiyeon, Hyomin, Eunjung and Qri — parted ways with the company, and without prior consultation with them.
MBK’s trademark application, if accepted, will ban members who left the company from exercising the trademark to the name for at least 10 years. In that case, they will be forced to find a new group name as former BEAST and TVXQ members did.
“We’re going to formally file an objection once again if the application is accepted,” Jang Cheon, who legally represents the four women, said.
When reached by phone, an MBK official declined to comment on the group’s recent measure but said, “(The dispute) will be settled within the boundary of the law.”
Since its debut in 2009 with the EP “Lies”, T-ara rose to fame with hits such as “Bo Peep Bo Peep”, “Roly Poly” and “Lovey Dovey”. The group released its ninth EP, “What’s My Name”, last June.
T-ara initially started out with six members but later went through several lineup changes amid departures and allegations of an internal bullying incident.
Meanwhile in separate news on Jan 8, the band denied on Instagram reports that each of the band’s four members was presented a super car by Wang Sicong, who signed the band to his media firm Banana Culture in 2015.
The band also denied that Banana Culture paid 9 billion won (US$8.4 million) to another Chinese entertainment company that had hired the band in 2014 to scout the stars.