South Korean Court Dismisses Composer's Plagiarism Claim Against 'Baby Shark'

Seoul, Aug 14 (AP) — The South Korean Supreme Court has ended a six-year legal battle by rejecting a 30 million won ($21,600) damages claim from American composer Jonathan Wright against Pinkfong, a South Korean kids content company. Wright accused Pinkfong of plagiarizing his version of the popular children's tune "Baby Shark." The top court upheld earlier rulings from 2021 and 2023, which found no grounds to confirm a copyright infringement by Pinkfong against Wright.

Wright, also known as Johnny Only, released his rendition in 2011, four years before Pinkfong's version. However, the courts noted that both versions are rooted in a traditional melody favored at U.S. children's camps for several years. The court ruled that Wright's rendition didn't significantly differ from the original tune to be deemed an original creative work eligible for copyright. Moreover, it found Pinkfong's version had distinct features separating it from Wright's.

The Supreme Court stated, "The Supreme Court accepts the lower court's finding that the plaintiff's song did not involve substantial modifications to the folk tune related to the case to the extent that it could be regarded, by common social standards, as a separate work."

Pinkfong stated that the ruling acknowledged their rendition of "Baby Shark" as being based on a "traditional singalong chant" in the public domain, which they evolved with an "upbeat rhythm and catchy melody" to make it the pop culture sensation it is today.

Chong Kyong-sok, Wright's South Korean attorney, described the ruling as "a little disappointing," but accepted the matter as now settled. “It's our work that came out first, so we can handle the licensing on our side and I guess we then each go our separate ways,” he stated.

The viral Pinkfong version of "Baby Shark," released on YouTube in 2015, has become a global phenomenon, with its original "Baby Shark Dance" video fetching over 16 billion views and reaching No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Pinkfong reported revenues of 45.1 billion won ($32.6 million) in the first half of 2025, confirming "Baby Shark" as a crucial product for the company. The five-member shark family—Baby Shark, Mama Shark, Papa Shark, Grandma Shark, and Grandpa Shark—has since been featured in TV and Netflix shows, movies, smartphone apps, and globally touring musicals. (AP)

SCY SCY

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)