The offices of National Assembly members Jeon Jae-soo, Kang Yoo-jeong, Kim Seung-soo, Kang Jun-hyeon, and Lee Heon-seung and the National Assembly Legislative Research Service held a seminar on the 8th at the National Assembly Hall under the theme of ‘Exploring legal tasks to create a fair distribution environment for the cultural industry.’
Son Sang-min, director of the Korea Cartoonists Association, who attended as a discussant on this day, sympathized with the purpose of the Cultural Industry Fair Distribution Act (draft) (hereinafter referred to as the Munsan Act) from the creator’s perspective, but pointed out that the bill is not suitable for the digital content ecosystem. raised concerns and suggested improvement measures.
Director Son pointed out that the bill did not sufficiently reflect the multi-layered structure of the webtoon market and the role of large platforms. He explained that the webtoon market is an ecosystem where creators, agencies, producers, and distributors are organically connected, and that the bill is attempting to impose rigid regulations that exclude flexible contract forms and creator support models. He went on to warn that, despite the justification for protecting creators, the Cultural Production Act (draft) will discourage new creators from entering the market and, in the long run, may lead to a decline in cultural diversity and a slowdown in industry growth.
In particular, Director Son said, “In the webtoon market, free previews play an important role as a means of promoting new artists,” and explained that if the bill imposes restrictions on free previews, it could lead to a decrease in content diversity and a decline in consumer welfare. He emphasized that the provisions on prohibited acts should be improved to suit the purpose of protecting creators, and to this end, he suggested that the clarity of the bill and the specificity of the scope of discipline should be increased.
He also expressed concern that global competitiveness could be weakened if the Cultural Production Act (draft) applies excessive regulations only to the domestic content industry. Director Son argued that it is necessary to create a fair competitive environment between domestic and foreign companies and to provide an environment where creators can operate stably.
Lastly, Director Son expressed concern that the promotion of the literary law (draft) could hinder the simultaneous growth of industry and culture in a situation where the content market has contracted following the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasized the need to reexamine the bill by fully reflecting the industry’s uniqueness and the opinions of creators, adding that a flexible legal system that can promote autonomous win-win cooperation must be established. He then explained that it is necessary to supplement the existing legal system and support policies based on the ‘arm’s length principle’ proven in the success stories of K-content.
Choi Yong-seok, Donga.com reporter [email protected]
-
- great
- 0dog
-
- I’m sad
- 0dog
-
- I’m angry
- 0dog