Investigation Exposes Contract Violations and Unallocated Profits in Copyright Battle

Provided by Gwacheon City

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced that late cartoonist Lee Woo-young, creator of the beloved children's comic series "Black Rubber Shoes" (1992-2007), was subjected to unfair practices. The ministry revealed that the unallocated profits for the series should be rightfully paid to Lee's surviving family members. This revelation comes in the wake of Lee's tragic suicide in March, which occurred amid an ongoing copyright dispute with his publisher, Hyungseul Publishing.

Culture Minister Park Bo-gyoon addressed the issue in a press release, stating, "After a thorough investigation into the contract, we have identified unfair practices that violate the Protection of Artists' Rights Act. We are committed to taking decisive measures to bring justice to the aggrieved artist and to prevent such incidents as the 'Black Rubber Shoes' case from recurring in the future."

Minister Park emphasized the ministry's dedication to establishing legal support centers to assist artists in copyright-related matters.

At present, the copyright for "Black Rubber Shoes" is held by four individuals: the defendant, Jang Jin-hyuk (CEO of Hyungseul Publishing); the plaintiffs, Lee Woo-young and his brother, Lee Woo-jin; and one witness.

The ministry's investigation identified two violations within the contract signed by Jang and the plaintiffs in June 2008, which pertained to the production of an animated version of "Black Rubber Shoes."

Firstly, Jang had failed to provide Lee with the investment returns from the animated series. As a result, the ministry has ordered Jang to compensate Lee's surviving family members for the returns and future revenues from additional licensing businesses, although the specific amount was not disclosed.

Secondly, the contract included unfair practices on Jang's part. For instance, Jang transferred all rights related to Lee's publication and business of "Black Rubber Shoes" to himself without providing proper compensation to Lee. Moreover, the contract imposed penalties for breach of contract if Lee did not adhere to certain provisions.

The ministry also confirmed that since 2008, Jang had ignored Lee's requests to amend the contract's ambiguous contents, resulting in significantly disadvantageous transaction conditions for the plaintiffs.

The findings of the investigation have been forwarded to a committee within the Korean Artists Welfare Foundation, responsible for safeguarding artists' rights. The defendant has until September 14 to rectify the unfair contract and submit the necessary documents in compliance with the corrective order issued by the ministry, which holds legally binding authority. Failure to comply may result in a fine of 5 million won ($3,945) or a suspension of funding support from the ministry for a period of up to three years.

The ministry's actions aim to rectify the unjust treatment endured by Lee Woo-young and underscore the importance of protecting the rights and well-being of artists within the industry.

Sayart.net 

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