Read on Mobile

[ASKKPOP] Psy's 'Gangnam Style' judged to not be a work of plagiarism

Although one composer,Mr. Lee, filed a lawsuit againstPsyin January of last year, claiming viral hit "Gangnam Style" to be a plagiarism of his own work, the court ruled against him on June 13, 2014.


The composer, Mr. Lee, filed this lawsuit against Psy, orMr. Park, demanding a considerable compensation of 100 million won (~ $100,000 USD) for allegedly illegal use of his original work.  Although Mr. Lee's composition was a ballad and "Gangnam Style" was a dance song so both songs gave off very different vibes, the claims stated that the melody for the "Beautiful, lovable" and "Hey sexy lady" sections were plagiarized.


In relation to this, the Seoul Central District Court said, "There is a difference between the sound and beat of the two songs.  There's no comparison regarding the claims that 'The simple composition of the chorus and the repeats in the music are similar' as well as the idea for the writing in the music.  It is difficult to view the chords and harmonies as similar. You can view some overlap in part when it comes to the lyrics, but there are no substantive similarities."




In addition, regarding this lawsuit, Psy's side had said through interviews with the press, "It is beneath taking considerable action and it looks like he only tends to use the popularity to demand money."


Mr. Lee said, "I've been dealing with defamation through media reports," and filed another lawsuit against Psy and YG Entertainmentback in July.  


However, he had lost that one, as well, as the court said, "It is true that YG representative,Mr. Hwang, spoke with a portion of the media for interviews, but as they were just simple comments and he was not hostile regarding the truth, it is difficult to acknowledge he has responsibility for damage claims."