Cases of Chinese record labels illegally registering and claiming copyright over Korean music have been on the rise, sparking controversy.
Despite these violations, YouTube’s copyright protection measures remain insufficient.
Recently, videos on YouTube featuring music from renowned Korean artists such as IU, Toy, Younha, Brown Eyes, and Lee Seung-chul have incorrectly listed Chinese entities as the original copyright holders. This has raised concerns over YouTube’s copyright verification process.
Chinese cover song labels have been preemptively registering copyrights on YouTube before the actual Korean rights holders, effectively posing as the original copyright owners.
Although YouTube operates its own copyright management system, flaws in the verification process have allowed such misuse to occur.
As an online service provider, YouTube is legally obligated to take necessary measures to prevent copyright infringement on its platform. However, despite receiving reports about unauthorized Chinese individuals acquiring Content ID—a tool designed to manage copyright claims—YouTube has yet to explain how these infringements occurred or what steps it will take to prevent recurrence.
YouTube’s customer support states that “a copyright holder must provide evidence of exclusive rights to manage copyrighted content.” Nevertheless, Content ID has been issued to individuals and entities in China who have no legitimate rights to K-pop music.
Furthermore, YouTube has remained silent on how and why Content ID was granted to unauthorized Chinese claimants.
In response, the Cyber Diplomatic Organization VANK has launched a global campaign urging YouTube to address and prevent further copyright infringements against Korean artists.
To bring international attention to the issue, VANK has filed a petition on the world’s largest petition platform:
The petition, titled “YouTube, Protect K-pop Copyrights!” calls on YouTube to provide an official explanation regarding how Content ID was wrongly assigned to unrelated Chinese entities, leading to copyright violations.
It also demands that YouTube conduct an internal investigation into the damages caused by this issue and publicly disclose its findings.
Finally, VANK urges YouTube to announce preventive measures and implement stronger technical security measures to safeguard K-pop copyrights from further exploitation.