BTS's agency sues X user for leaking 'Arirang' online
What's the story
BigHit Music, the South Korean music label of BTS, has initiated US legal proceedings against an anonymous user on X (formerly Twitter) for allegedly leaking songs, lyrics, and artwork from their recent album Arirang. The legal action was taken on April 9 in the US to unmask the identity of the account holder @jwngkcck. BigHit claims this user leaked parts of Arirang in early March before its release.
Legal proceedings
BigHit plans to file civil lawsuit in South Korea
The court documents, obtained by Billboard, request a US judge to issue a subpoena that would compel X to reveal the identity of the user. BigHit plans to use this information for a civil lawsuit in South Korea, where they will seek monetary damages for copyright and trade secret violations. The label stated in the court document that the leak "negatively impacted its reputation and sales."
Account changes
Disputed posts no longer present on user's account
The disputed posts are no longer present on @jwngkcck. BigHit claims that the user deleted these posts and changed their display name away from "BTS ARIRANG LEAK" after BigHit submitted copyright infringement reports to the social media platform. HYBE and its subsidiaries frequently turn to US courts to identify and take legal action against anonymous internet users in Korea. This is because US-based platforms are typically only required to comply with subpoenas issued by judges in the USA.
Chart performance
BTS tops Billboard charts with 'Arirang'
Despite the alleged leak controversy, Arirang has been a massive success for BTS. The album was released on March 20 and has dominated the Billboard 200 chart for three weeks. Its lead single, Swim, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and continues to remain in the top five of the chart.