Unauthorized Use of Celebrity Portrait Rights Controversy
As cases of celebrities' faces and names being used for commercial purposes without their consent increase, the issue of infringement on portrait rights has become a serious concern.
In particular, instances of event companies misusing celebrities' images without permission for promotional purposes are raising awareness about consumer deception and violations of portrait rights.
Recently, it has come to light that a section titled 'Celebrity Wedding Performances' on an event company's website improperly featured profile pictures and names of Red Velvet members. The images of Red Velvet, which are unrelated to the event company, were prominently included in the list of potential wedding performers.
Upon learning this fact, SM Entertainment, the agency representing Red Velvet, stated that "the company is unrelated and there was no prior consultation or permission granted," expressing a firm stance. The agency also mentioned, "Upon confirming the unauthorized use of portraits, we requested immediate removal, and if similar cases occur again, we plan to respond strongly."
Singer Huh Gak Also a Victim of Portrait Rights Infringement
Singer Huh Gak was also confirmed to be a victim of a similar incident.
The same company inserted the phrase "Huh Gak guarantees" alongside promotional materials featuring Huh Gak's face, misleading consumers into believing he was an official promotional model. However, this turned out to be untrue.
The agency OS Project representing Huh Gak stated, "We are not related to this company," clearly delineating their position. The representative of the company had claimed to have "a long-standing friendship with Huh Gak," but Huh Gak's team emphasized, "There have been various issues for several years, so we haven't been in touch often, and I heard that the company reached out after learning about the investigation yesterday," adding, "He is a long-time friend, but Huh Gak is currently not associated with this company."
Contradictory Statements from the Company and Agencies
In relation to this matter, the company's representative claimed, "It's unfair," stating, "A few weeks ago during the website renewal process, we discovered the wrongly posted celebrities and have now removed all the photos." They further asserted, "I have been running the company for about six years, and there are actual event coordinators who source performances separately; in fact, there are instances where they send profiles asking us to post their performances."
However, upon verifying the relationship with the agencies of the celebrities currently listed on the company’s website, it was found that most stated they are "unrelated," contradicting the claims made by the company.
This has been pointed out as a serious issue, as attempts to utilize celebrities' images and names without authorization to enhance commercial credibility constitute an infringement on portrait rights and consumer deception.
Image Source: youtube 'red velvet', facebook 'huhgak'
