This decision is expected to accelerate HYBE’s legal proceedings against these cyberwreckers.
On August 23rd, it was reported that Source Music, LE SSERAFIM‘s agency, had their information disclosure request granted by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. This request, initially filed in July, sought to identify individuals behind certain defamatory YouTube accounts targeting the group. News of this legal win quickly spread among LE SSERAFIM’s domestic and international fans through social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), garnering widespread support.
Previously, on July 30th, Source Music requested the court to disclose the identities of two YouTube account owners responsible for spreading defamatory content about LE SSERAFIM members.
With the court’s approval, Source Music is expected to obtain the necessary information from Google and proceed with civil lawsuits in Korea. The ruling clarified that the court granted the information request on the condition that it would be used for civil litigation, not criminal prosecution.
This development follows a June incident where a similar request by HYBE, Source Music’s parent company, was denied by the same court. In that case, Judge Vince Chhabria ruled that the request for information disclosure related to criminal investigations must come from law enforcement, not the victim. The court also noted the absence of any indication that the Korean police had acted on HYBE’s complaint, leading to the denial of the request.
This time, by framing the request in the context of a civil lawsuit, the court agreed to grant it, and LE SSERAFIM is expected to proceed with large-scale civil lawsuits once the identities of the cyberwreckers are confirmed.
Meanwhile, regarding this, HYBE stated that they will organize comprehensive aspects such as future measures and announce their position.
Source: Daum
