占 Hattchs 🐺🐰

Let's dissect this... The dismissal of MHJ's counterclaim does not take anything away from her victory in the main lawsuit. The court was applying different legal standards to different claims. In the main lawsuit, BELIFT and SOURCE MUSIC had to establish that MHJ's statements were unlawful and that she was liable for damages. They failed to do that. In the counterclaim, MHJ had to establish that BELIFT had committed an actionable wrong against her personally, caused her legally recognizable damages, and that she was entitled to compensation. The court wasn't convinced of that either because the potential damages wasn't exactly against her but it was against NewJeans and ADOR. Again... what she had to establish is that BELIFT wronged her personally and the court did not see that. There's also an important distinction here between creative contribution and legal ownership. The court's reasoning about NewJeans' achievements doesn't mean MHJ didn't play a central role in creating the group's identity or success. It means that, in the court's view, those achievements were not hers to claim as personal damages. And I think this is where people need to be careful not to oversimplify the outcome. The court did not say BELIFT was right, nor did it say MHJ was wrong to raise concerns about similarities. In fact, it rejected BELIFT's attempt to hold her financially liable for those statements. At the same time, it did not find that MHJ had established a separate legal basis for collecting damages from BELIFT. So, yes, MHJ won the main lawsuit. She just didn't win the separate damages claim she brought against BELIFT. Those two outcomes can coexist. Saying "both sides lost" without explaining that distinction creates a misleading impression of what actually happened. One caveat: We still don't have the copy of the final verdict, so until then, we're just basing everything on what was reported.

That fandom will never beat the stupidest fandom allegation... 😴

MHJ won the main suit... but her counterclaim got dismissed. HYBEstans: "It's a stalemate." Huh? 🤯

HYBE checking if they still have money to spend on lawsuits they cannot win.

261113 Atty. Lee Hyun-gon post “HYBE can no longer win any lawsuit. The truth has already been exposed through the way they treat the NewJeans members.”

Let's get one thing straight: THAT GROUP has NOT been legally cleared of plagiarism allegations. I keep seeing fans of that group weirdly celebrating after BELIFT LAB's loss against Min Hee-jin as though the court has officially declared that the group did not plagiarize NewJeans. That's not what happened. Not even close. First, understand what the lawsuit was actually about. There was never a plagiarism lawsuit. BELIFT LAB sued Min Hee-jin for 2 billion KRW, alleging defamation and business interference arising from her public statements that the group's concept and performances resembled or imitated NewJeans. SOURCE MUSIC separately sued her for ₩500 million over her statements concerning NewJeans' trainee selection, management, and debut process, alleging the dissemination of false information. These were civil damages lawsuits concerning the alleged "unlawfulness" of MHJ's statements and whether she should be held financially liable for them. They were NOT lawsuits asking the court to determine whether that group plagiarized NewJeans. And what did the court actually decide? The Seoul Western District Court dismissed BELIFT LAB's entire 2 billion KRW claim and SOURCE MUSIC's entire 500 million KRW claim. The court explained that criticism and expressions of opinion concerning the similarity or imitation of creative works are broadly protected under freedom of expression. It determined that MHJ's comments about that group's similarities to NewJeans constituted subjective evaluations and opinions rather than unlawful assertions of fact. In other words, the court found insufficient grounds to hold MHJ legally liable for the statements that BELIFT LAB and SOURCE MUSIC challenged. That is not the same as ruling that the similarities never existed. The court DID NOT conduct a plagiarism trial, issue a finding that the group's concept was original, or declare that BELIFT LAB had not copied anything from NewJeans. You cannot turn a defamation lawsuit into a plagiarism verdict simply because your preferred side lost. Now, let's talk about BELIFT LAB's position. BELIFT LAB initiated this lawsuit, claiming that MHJ's plagiarism allegations had damaged its reputation and interfered with its business. It sought 2 billion KRW in compensation. But after going through the proceedings, the company lost its entire claim. Even more significantly, the court recognized that criticism and opinions about similarities between creative works fall within the protection of freedom of expression. Think about the implications. BELIFT LAB went to court to hold MHJ financially accountable for publicly questioning the similarities between that group and NewJeans. But the court ultimately found that her statements were opinions and evaluations that did not establish legal liability. BELIFT LAB also complained that investigative authorities had forwarded the case with a recommendation for prosecution, and that it had submitted additional evidence and requested the reopening of proceedings. The court nevertheless proceeded to judgment without granting that request. And now BELIFT LAB (and SOURCE too) says it will appeal. Of course, it has the right to appeal. But announcing an appeal does not erase the first-instance ruling. There is another important detail here: MHJ's 5 billion KRW counterclaim against BELIFT LAB was also dismissed. So let's be accurate about the outcome: neither side was awarded damages in this case. However, that does not change the fact that BELIFT LAB and SOURCE MUSIC failed to establish their respective damages claims against MHJ. So, to fans of that group celebrating this as a plagiarism acquittal... what exactly was that group acquitted of? There was no plagiarism charge being adjudicated in this civil case. There was no plagiarism lawsuit. And there was no judicial determination that the group did not imitate NewJeans. A company losing a lawsuit over the alleged defamation caused by plagiarism accusations is not the same thing as winning a lawsuit proving that no plagiarism occurred. PLEASE STOP CONFUSING THE TWO!! You can support that group without rewriting what the court actually decided. And you can disagree with Min Hee-jin without pretending that a ruling on defamation and freedom of expression is a judicial endorsement of the group's originality. Read the actual judgment. Understand what was litigated. And stop claiming the court decided something it was never asked to decide.