In a swift turn of events following Baek Yerin saying her song was plagiarized and the ongoing debate over that, she is now facing legal action from former The Volunteers member CLOUD for using songs — that he produced, composed, and performed — without permission.
On October 4, Gureum’s agency stated, “We would like to address the recent issue with People Like People Co., Ltd. (PLP), which has been performing unauthorized works by our artist Gureum. This is not just about the unauthorized use of copyrighted material; we are now in a position where we must take appropriate actions.”
The agency further explained, “Gureum was previously a member of the band ‘The Volunteers,’ where he led the production, composition, and performance of many songs. Although his exclusive contract with Blue Vinyl ended on February 28, during Gureum’s departure from The Volunteers, PLP unilaterally sent a confirmation document requesting the unauthorized free transfer of neighboring rights and a waiver of rights to unreleased songs. After discussing with the artist, we rejected the request.”
They go on to explain that since June 10, they have asked PLP multiple times to cease and desist, basically. Gureum’s side claims they agreed at first, but continued to perform the songs later, additionally saying that personal equipment was not returned
Thus, they are taking legal action, including defamation against online communities.
As a result, Gureum’s agency stated, “To protect our artist’s rights and prevent further incidents, we have no choice but to proceed with legal action.” They added, “We have also confirmed that some communities have spread false information, engaged in defamation, and made personal attacks regarding the artist’s social media posts. We will take strong legal action against malicious commenters without leniency.”
Lastly, the agency expressed, “We hope this will help correct the industry’s harmful practices that undermine the value of others’ creative work and assets. We are committed to ensuring that Gureum and many other artists can continue to produce great music.”
CLOUD left The Volunteers back on March 21 after around 5.5 years with the band, and I guess it wasn’t on the best terms.
I have no idea about the details of the case, but the timing of this is almost too remarkable to be coincidental if the dispute hadn’t apparently been ongoing for months now.
