The Korean Entertainment Producers Association addresses the design dispute between THE BOYZ and QWER's lightsticks, emphasizing creativity and respect.
September/29/2025 18:18Related Groups & Members
Amidst the conflict regarding the similarity of the official lightstick designs of THE BOYZ and QWER, the Korean Entertainment Producers Association has clarified its position. Today (29th), the association, which was established for the purpose of preserving and inheriting South Korea's popular cultural heritage, announced a statement regarding the design similarities of THE BOYZ and QWER's official lightsticks. The association stated, 'The foundation of creativity, identity, and sustainable growth in the K-POP industry lies in the respect for intellectual property rights and mutual understanding created together by artists, fandoms, companies, and the entire cultural industry.' They added, 'The discussion about the design similarities of THE BOYZ and QWER's official lightsticks transcends the dimensions of one-off imitation and conflict, and it has significant implications for the future of K-POP merchandise culture, community formation among fandoms, and the global competitiveness of the Korean Wave.' They continued, 'Although there are conflicting opinions between the two companies, a strict judgment on legal issues and the clarification of objective facts, as well as a balanced consideration of industry practices, the public nature of design, and the social importance of fandom identity, should be taken into account. If each side's position only conflicts legally, we must accept serious risks such as a decline in creativity across K-POP, deepening exclusivity and isolation of fan culture, and ultimately a decrease in trust in domestic and international markets.' QWER recently unveiled the design of its official lightstick ahead of a world tour, which led to numerous comments pointing out the similarity in the shape of the lightstick's megaphone part to THE BOYZ's official lightstick design. THE BOYZ's agency, One Hundred, stated regarding this matter, 'After confirming the case, we continued discussions with QWER and requested design changes, but we did not reach a final conclusion.' They added, 'To prevent such occurrences in the future, we will respond firmly in cooperation with relevant agencies, including all legal procedures.' QWER commented on the similarity with THE BOYZ's lightstick, stating, 'There are no copyright issues.' The agency is considering legal action regarding the design similarity.
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