Yiruma receives 2.6 billion won in music revenue… Final victory after 6 years of litigation

by times news cr

2024-04-07 11:47:46

Pianist Yiruma. 2012.12.16 Money Today/News 1

Pianist and composer Yiruma ultimately won a lawsuit against his former agency for contract money. Mr. Lee will receive music proceeds worth 2.6 billion won.

According to the legal community on the 7th, the 1st Division of the Supreme Court (Chief Justice Seo Kyung-hwan) confirmed the original trial ruling in favor of some of the plaintiffs in the contract money lawsuit filed by Mr. Lee against his former agency, Stomp Music.

When Mr. Lee terminated his exclusive contract with Stomp Music in 2010, he filed a lawsuit claiming that the contract period was no longer in effect, and partially won the case in the first trial.

In the appeal trial, both parties agreed through mediation that the contract would be terminated by September 2013 and that Stomp Music would fulfill its obligation to pay distributions, including music proceeds.

However, Mr. Lee filed a contract lawsuit in August 2018, claiming that Stomp Music had not properly calculated future profits and paid distributions based on the copyrighted work.

Mr. Lee argued that he should receive 30% of the profits as specified in the exclusive contract, including 2,000 won in royalties per album.

Stomp Music countered that the 30% cannot be applied as it is debt fulfillment predicated on the termination of the contract, and since the copyright has already been held in trust, only about 15% of the profits should be paid.

Both parties agreed to a 15% profit distribution ratio at the time of the initial contract, but later decided to increase it to 30% through a revised contract.

Mr. Lee entrusted the copyright he owned to the Music Copyright Association in June 2010, just before the contract was terminated.

The first and second trials ruled that Stomp Music should distribute 30% of the profits to Mr. Lee. It was determined that, despite being aware of Mr. Lee’s copyright trust agreement, he had entered into a change agreement and agreed to pay distributions.

The second trial ruled that Stomp Music should pay 2.64 billion won, including the initial billed amount and unsettled domestic and overseas profits until the first half of 2023.

Stomp Music appealed, but the Supreme Court confirmed the decision by dismissing the decision. Dismissal for non-trial is a procedure in which an appeal is dismissed without a hearing on the merits because the original judgment is judged to be unfounded.

(Seoul = News 1)

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2024-04-07 11:47:46

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