A dispute over a YouTube upload of the music video for the track “ETA” (2023) by girl group NewJeans is escalating, with the production company behind the clip seeking to block enforcement of a damages ruling.

Dolphiners Films, the production company that directed the group's music videos, filed a court request Tuesday to halt the enforcement of a 1 billion won ($678,000) damages award ordered in a first-trial ruling in favor of ADOR.


The move follows a Seoul Central District Court ruling on Jan. 13 that found Dolphiners Films and director Shin Woo-seok in breach of contract for uploading a director-edited version of the “ETA” music video to the production company’s YouTube channel, according to legal sources.

The court recognized 1 billion won of the 1.1 billion won in damages sought by ADOR and granted provisional enforcement, allowing the compensation to be collected even before the ruling is finalized.

Courts sometimes allow provisional enforcement to enable the swift realization of rights before a judgment is finalized. When a losing party appeals, it can seek a stay of enforcement to block execution based on a ruling that includes a provisional enforcement order.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]