HYBE and its subsidiary label BELIFT LAB have taken an unprecedented step by initiating an international legal battle against an overseas malicious commenter who repeatedly spread false information about their artists. The move signals a strong stance against online defamation even when the perpetrator is located on the other side of the world.
According to reports, HYBE and BELIFT LAB recently submitted a preliminary evidence preservation request to the Federal Civil and Commercial Court in Argentina, where the anonymous user is believed to reside. This legal procedure allows evidence crucial to a future lawsuit to be secured before it can be deleted or concealed. If approved, local telecommunications companies or internet service providers will be required to preserve subscriber information linked to the IP address in question.
Once the individual’s identity is confirmed, HYBE plans to file a civil lawsuit in Argentina and pursue further civil and criminal actions. The case involves an anonymous X (formerly Twitter) account that has been active since March of last year, posting more than 3,000 defamatory messages targeting HYBE and BELIFT LAB artists.
The posts allegedly included numerous unverified and damaging claims, such as accusations that artists were forced to attend specific political events, that former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin’s private messenger conversations were illegally obtained, and that HYBE maintained improper relationships with judges to influence court rulings. These allegations were described as entirely false and harmful to both the company and its artists.
HYBE initially filed a civil lawsuit in South Korea in August last year but faced difficulties identifying the defendant due to the anonymity of the account. The company then turned to the U.S. legal system, successfully using the discovery process through a California district court to obtain information from X. This effort revealed that the IP address traced back to Argentina, allowing HYBE to narrow down the suspect’s location.
Industry insiders describe this move as highly unusual and exceptionally aggressive. Overseas malicious commenters have long been perceived as difficult to track and hold accountable, but HYBE’s coordinated legal actions across U.S. and Argentine courts have significantly tightened the net.
An industry source commented, “This case clearly shows HYBE’s determination to pursue malicious commenters no matter where they are in the world and bring them before the law. It sends a strong message that anonymity and distance will no longer guarantee immunity.”
The case is now being closely watched as a potential turning point in how global entertainment companies respond to online defamation targeting artists.
Sources: Naver
You must be logged in to post a comment.