A Kpop fan event was canceled after ENHYPEN’s music label Belift Lab warned the event’s organizers that it would take legal action against the organizers should they push through with the event.
The event in question that the company tagged as an “unauthorized paid event” is the “ENHAFESTIVAL: DAY 1” which was scheduled on January 7.
“This event is an unauthorized paid event that sold tickets by using the content of BELIFT LAB without our authorization,” Belift Lab said on Thursday, January 5.
“If the event host pushes ahead with this event, we will take legal actions for infringement of intellectual property,” it added.
It also stressed that they assume no responsibility for any damage resulting from the event.
The company said that it would “continue to work to ensure that the rights of our artists are fully protected.”
Timeline
Prior to the issuance of this notice from Belift Lab, the organizers of the fan event revealed that the legal representative of the company had already reached out to the the agency late last year.
“On November 3, 2022, BELIFT LAB expressed their concern about the potential copyright infringement on the band name ENHYPEN, which is currently the basis and highlight of the event name, ENHAFESTIVAL: DAY 1,” the organizers shared in a statement.
The legal team demanded the organizers to disclose the details of the event including their partners, sources of funds, and promotion and marketing strategy.
Following this request, the organizers said that they submitted the event proposals and memorandums of agreement with event partners to Belift Lab on November 15.
The organizers also clarified with the company that the event is organized by ENHYPEN fans and that it is non-profit.
They also said that “no fansite photo will be sold” and pledged that “all necessary financial documents and reports will be sent to BELIFT LAB.”
Meanwhile, Belift Lab’s legal team also demanded for the list of partners but the organizers refused to protect their partner’s privacy.
The organizers said they did not receive a response from the company after this message.
A month after, the company’s legal team invited them to a virtual meeting.
Based on the statement shared by the organizers, Belift Lab expressed the following:
– To strongly recommend the cancellation of ENHAFESTIVAL: DAY 1;
– To refrain from using ENHYPEN to promote any event; and
– To avoid potential copyright infringement by not holding a similar event in the future.
The organizers refused to cancel the event as they are “at 70% completion towards D-Day.” They also said that they cannot provide a refund to the attendees since the funds have already been used.
“ENHAFESTIVAL: DAY 1” representatives said they also expressed their willingness to change the event’s name as a compromise.
“The organizers of ENHAFESTIVAL: DAY 1 have then decided to proceed and reformat
the event to ALWAYS TOGETHER: The Festival, and overhaul the program and its
features. We asked if they can provide feedback on our proposal,” the statement reads.
This change was manifested in the publication materials released by the organizers on December 31 onwards. Although, the name of the Facebook page “ENHAFESTIVAL: DAY 1” has been retained.
The Facebook page Enhafestival: DAY 1 has been promoting the event since October 2022.
ENHYPEN will return to the Philippines for a three-night concert at the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City on February 3 to 5.