Will FIFTY FIFTY Disband: A CRUCIAL Lawsuit Update!

Reports have revealed fraudulent elements in the past work and history of The Givers’ CEO, Ahn Sung Il. Meanwhile, ATTRAKT has now officially applied trademark rights for the name of FIFTY FIFTY in several countries. So, what happens to FIFTY FIFTY now, and does it mean the group will disband? Explore the following report and discussion for a comprehensive update on the FIFTY FIFTY lawsuit.

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FIFTY FIFTY Lawsuit Update: ATTRAKT Officially Applied Trademark Rights for ‘FIFTY FIFTY’

ATTRAKT has officially applied trademark rights for FIFTY FIFTY, while Ahn Sung Il’s fraudulent past was exposed. Does it mean that FIFTY FIFTY will soon disband, only months after its spectacular debut?

On July 25, an exclusive report from Korean media outlet Munhwa Ilbo confirmed that ATTRAKT officially applied for trademark rights of ‘FIFTY FIFTY’ in four major Kpop consumer markets: the US, the UK, Japan, and China.

ATTRAKT’s representative lawyer, patent attorney Jeon Jong Hak revealed to Munhwa Ilbo that the application is already in process with an official registration number.

“The liability and recognition of trademarks or patents can only work only if the designated countries grant them. It means that the group (FIFTY FIFTY) cannot promote in the US or UK using trademarks obtained in South Korea.
In this case, we have applied for trademark rights in four countries: US, UK, Japan, and China.”
Jeon Jong Hak.

Previously, amidst their intense lawsuit battle, ATTRAKT filed a trademark rights application for the English name of FIFTY FIFTY in South Korea on May 15.

Later on June 19, the 4 members of FIFTY FIFTY reportedly applied for trademarks for the Korean name version. This was after the members filed for an injunction of the exclusive contract with the company.

However, since ATTRAKT made the first request, the ‘Trademark Priority System under the Trademark Act’ in US and UK would make ATTRAKT’s request a priority. Therefore, even if the four members similarly apply for the same rights, the priority will remain with ATTRAKT.

ATTRAKT filed trademark rights for FIFTY FIFTY name amidst their lawsuit. | Munhwa Ilbo

The Givers Admit Ahn Sung Il’s Fraudulent Past Amidst Lawsuit Update

At the same time, TV Daily reported on July 25 that The Givers—the alleged company behind FIFTY FIFTY lawsuit against ATTRAKT—admitted that their CEO Ahn Sung Il had been falsifying his academic background and career.

In an official position stated on July 25, The Givers confirmed Ahn Sung Il’s attempt to falsify his professional background. The company also apologized for the CEO’s mistake and promised to take corrective actions.

“We have confirmed that some parts of the content related to Ahn Sung Il’s academic background and career were not true.
Regarding this mistake, we sincerely apologize for the confusion. We also apologize for not delivering accurate information. In the future, we will take corrective action.”
The Givers.

Fraudulent Educational Background

TV Daily’s previous report revealed a massive issue with Ahn Sung Il’s educational background. The CEO previously claimed to have graduated from Chung-Ang University’s Business Administration Faculty. This educational background appeared in his professional resume on various portal sites.

However, Chung-Ang University then refuted the claim. The institution confirmed to the media that the name “Ahn Sung Il” did not appear in the history of Chung-Ang University’s Business Administration Faculty. It also did not come up in the university’s intranet search. In fact, it was Ahn Sung Il’s older brother who once attended the university.

As a result, the media concluded that either Ahn Sung Il’s educational background was fraudulent or that he didn’t use his real name.

Fraudulent Career Background

Along with his educational background, The Givers CEO Ahn Sung Il has reportedly exaggerated his career background as well.

Ahn Sung Il wrote on his LinkedIn profile that he served as co-founder of Zap Entertainment, director of production (senior director) at Vitamin Entertainment, creative director in charge of Warner Music Korea, as well as partner and global rights manager for Beyond Music.

However, these claims have proven to be either false or exaggerated.

SPOTV News exclusively reported on July 25 that Ahn Sung Il’s associates finally came forward and testified about his fraudulent claims. According to the testimonies, Ahn Sung Il had a brief relationship with Vitamin Entertainment but never worked full-time in the company.

Furthermore, Ahn Sung Il also introduced himself as a former Warner Korea / Warner Bros production director. But that is not the case at all.

In 2007, Vitamin Entertainment merged with Warner Music Korea. However, Ahn Sung Il had no management or record production roles within the company.

An official revealed to SPOTV News that Ahn Sung Il once reportedly admitted to the forgery. They specifically pointed out that the The Givers CEO would simply apologize and make excuses if caught.

Ahn Sung Il’s career history in LinkedIn profile. | SPOTV News

Meanwhile, Beyond Music also admitted that Ahn Sung Il’s career history was incorrect. The company claimed that Ahn Sung Il had worked with them briefly in 2021, but he left in March 2022.

“We worked together at the time of establishment in 2021. But Ahn Sung Il left around March of last year. We have not had a relationship since.”
Beyond Music.

Will FIFTY FIFTY Disband?

Finally, ATTRAKT’s trademark registration and Ahn Sung Il’s exposed fraudulent past brings us to the question: will FIFTY FIFTY have no choice but to disband?

FIFTY FIFTY members seem to have no intentions of discussing the matter with ATTRAKT regarding the lawsuit. They insist on suspending their exclusive contract despite their plummeting public image. That is why media and music industry insiders predicted they would focus on overseas activities rather than domestic ones.

But now, the members can no longer use the name they debuted. And with Ahn Sung Il’s fraudulent past, the image of FIFTY FIFTY members as the idols who backstabbed their CEO is getting worse. That is why FIFTY FIFTY’s existence is in danger and may possibly disband.

“Just like how it is with BTS and BLACKPINK, a group’s name represents their identity.
If a newcomer who debuted less than a year cannot use this identity, they will inevitably experience reduced scope of activities.
Moreover, you can also get caught up in a massive lawsuit if you forcefully use a name without rights, especially in these countries that uphold the concept of intellectual property rights.”
a music industry official.

So, what do you think about this update on FIFTY FIFTY and ATTRAKT lawsuit? Do you think FIFTY FIFTY will truly disband?

Please share your thoughts in the comments. And stay updated with K-entertainment’s latest news on Kpoppost’s Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram.