South Korea’s highest court has dismissed a copyright lawsuit filed by a United States composer over the world famous children’s hit, Baby Shark.
Jonathan Wright began the case in 2021, claiming that the song copied the bass line and rhythm of a track he had released four years earlier.
However, the Supreme Court upheld earlier rulings from two lower courts, which concluded there was not enough evidence to prove that entertainment company Pinkfong had violated his copyright.
The court pointed out that both songs were rooted in a traditional melody sung at children’s summer camps in the U.S.It further ruled that Wright’s version did not differ significantly from the original tune to be considered a new creative work eligible for copyright protection, while Pinkfong’s version showed clear distinctions from his.
