▲ Courtesy of Galaxy CorporationK-pop superstar G-Dragon is poised for a highly anticipated return to the music scene following the acquisition of trademark rights to his stage name from his former agency, YG Entertainment.

The acquisition marks a crucial development for G-Dragon’s forthcoming activities, with his former agency granting the trademark rights for “G-Dragon” and “GD” to his new agency, Galaxy Corporation, at no cost.

A representative from Galaxy Corporation confirmed on Thursday, “We received the trademark rights without any cost, thanks to the generosity of YG Entertainment’s Chief Executive Producer Yang Hyun-suk.”

Trademark disputes involving stage names and group names are not uncommon in the K-pop industry, especially when artists transition between agencies. For example, the boy band Highlight had to relinquish their original name, Beast, after leaving Cube Entertainment in 2016, only to regain it seven years later in April 2023.

However, there is a growing trend of amicably transferring trademark rights to artists. Woollim Entertainment, for instance, transferred the trademark rights for the group name Infinite, their fan club name Inspirit, and their concert brand Infinite Rally to the members of Infinite in April 2023. Similarly, JYP Entertainment transferred the trademark rights to all members of GOT7 when they departed the agency.

Currently, G-Dragon is also serving as a visiting professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) while preparing for his musical comeback. The exact timing of his return has yet to be announced. His most recent solo release was the EP "Kwon Ji Yong" in June 2017.

G-Dragon initially gained fame in 2006 as a member of the iconic K-pop group Big Bang, known for hits such as “Lies,” “Sunset Glow,” and “Fantastic Baby.” He has since achieved significant success as a solo artist with tracks including "Heartbreaker," "One of a Kind," and "Crooked." After ending his contract with YG Entertainment last year, he joined Galaxy Corporation.

Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com