Shakatak’s Chatroom about NewJeans Plagiarism Leaked? Is it a Publicity Stunt?
Leaked chat logs allegedly from Shakatak, who accused NewJeans of plagiarizing their song, are causing a stir online.
Recently, posts titled “Shakatak Chat Logs Leaked” have been circulating in online communities.
The revealed messenger chat includes statements like, “Change of plan, let’s expedite. Send the content certification on 6/17 to start the attack. There’s no need to delay if we’re going to court anyway. And we should prepare for the public opinion battle,” and “We don’t care about the truth of the plagiarism. The goal is to raise an external issue. The best outcome would be if ADOR proposes a settlement to avoid major issues.”
These messages make it seem like Shakatak is using NewJeans for a publicity stunt, but the chat is actually a parody of leaked KakaoTalk messages from last April, which surfaced during the conflict between ADOR’s CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE.
Last month, British band Shakatak demanded compensation for damages related to NewJeans’ song “Bubblegum.” They sent an official complaint to ADOR, HYBE, the Korea Music Copyright Association, and Sony Music Publishing Hong Kong Ltd. (Korea branch).
Shakatak’s legal representatives stated, “We have confirmed that NewJeans’ song ‘Bubblegum’ unlawfully uses ‘Easier Said Than Done,’ violating copyright. We request immediate action, including stopping the use of ‘Bubblegum.’”
They also mentioned legal actions regarding stopping usage, revenue reporting, rights changes, written guarantees, and damages compensation.
As the plagiarism controversy grew, ADOR responded to Exports News, stating, “On June 17, we received a content certification from Shakatak, and on June 21, our legal team responded. ‘Bubblegum’ does not unlawfully use Shakatak’s composition. We have requested a credible analysis report on this matter.”
ADOR further noted, “Shakatak replied that they would soon provide the report, but we have not yet received it. The party raising the plagiarism issue must send the report proving the plagiarism, and Shakatak needs to respond.”
On July 19, Shakatak posted on their official SNS that they had submitted the “credible analysis report” requested by ADOR. They stated, “Wise Music Group, our publishing company, is handling this case and has hired a musicologist to investigate the matter further. We will keep you updated.”
While Shakatak is closely examining the plagiarism allegations, if proven true, it could severely impact the active promotions of NewJeans. However, it is well-known that proving plagiarism in court requires a significant amount of time and financial resources.
Source: Daum
