When searching for K-pop stars like NewJeans and IVE on the Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress. it is confirmed that counterfeit products are being openly sold and expecting a significant controversy.
Products appearing when NewJeans is searched on AliExpress
Professor Seo Kyoung Duk from Sungshin Women’s University said, “Many K-pop fans both domestically and internationally have reported this issue, and upon checking, many products were found to be counterfeits.”
For example, various goods are being sold at meager prices, such as photo cards ($0.99), pendants ($1.48), key rings ($1.89), and t-shirts ($3.17).
Professor Seo explained, “At these prices, anyone can realize that there has been no negotiation with the K-pop stars’ agencies regarding portrait rights and copyrights.”
He also pointed out, “So far, China has normalized ‘thief viewing’ by illegally downloading popular K-dramas like ‘The Glory,’ ‘Squid Game,’ and ‘Strange Attorney Woo Young Woo’ that are popular worldwide. Even more shocking is that they have been freely using the portrait rights of the Hallyu(Korean Wave) stars who appeared in the dramas, creating and selling counterfeit products to make a profit.”
He continued, “Now, our consumers have to be fully alert. Above all, it’s time for the government to take proactive action,” emphasizing, “We should focus not only on creating good content but also on building a good system that can be protected worldwide.”
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