South Korea’s Supreme Court has rejected a US composer’s allegation that the children’s song Baby Shark had plagiarised his work, ending a six-year legal battle.
The top court upheld lower court rulings dating back to 2021 and 2023 that found no sufficient grounds to conclude the South Korean kids content company, Pinkfong, infringed on American composer Jonathan Wright’s copyright.
The 30 million won ($33,124) damages’ claim was based on a battle over the catchy “doo doo doo doo doo doo” hook.
South Korea’s Supreme Court has dismissed claims by US composer Jonathan Wright (known as Johnny Only) that the global children’s hit Baby Shark was copied from his work, bringing an end to a six-year legal battle.
Wright had argued that Pinkfong, the South Korean company behind the viral sensation, plagiarised his 2011 version of the traditional folk tune. However, the court ruled that his version did not contain sufficient creative alterations to qualify as a protected work under copyright law.
Pinkfong released Baby Shark in 2016, pairing the song with hand gestures and a colourful video. It went on to become the most-viewed video on YouTube, breaking records with more than 10 billion views, and spawning a global franchise of shows, products, and even a feature film.
While variations of the song had existed for decades, none achieved the worldwide cultural impact of Pinkfong’s interpretation — now celebrated as part of the K-pop wave for the next generation.
In Cyprus, as in the EU, copyright protection extends only to works that demonstrate originality and a sufficient degree of creative expression. Simple adaptations of traditional or public domain works (such as folk songs) will not usually qualify as independent copyrighted works unless they introduce substantial creative elements. This principle, mirrored in the Baby Shark case in South Korea, would similarly apply under Cypriot and EU copyright law.
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