On the 6th, according to The Givers and legal sources, ATTRAKT dropped its appeal, finalizing the first- and second-instance rulings. In January, the Seoul High Court fully dismissed ATTRAKT’s appeal and ordered the plaintiff to cover litigation costs.
The key issue was who owns the economic rights to "Cupid". In both trials, the court found The Givers was the contracting party to the copyright assignment. It also ruled that the substantive steps―like executing the contract and bearing related costs―were carried out through The Givers. The court added that contracts must be interpreted by their text, rejecting ATTRAKT’s claims for joint authorship and ownership transfer.
The Givers said it also received non-indictment outcomes in related criminal matters. Allegations of private document forgery and copyright-law violations tied to "Under the Full Moon (Alok Remix)" resulted in “no charges” and “dismissed” decisions, and the police decided not to refer member KEENA’s document-forgery complaint to prosecutors.
“The facts we proved and our legal arguments were validated by the judiciary,” The Givers stated. “We hope this ruling becomes a reference point for how the industry views copyright contracts.”
Meanwhile, "Cupid" is a 2023 release by girl group FIFTY FIFTY. The track peaked at No. 17 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for 15 consecutive weeks, marking a global breakout.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)