Shark family cleared of plagiarism for 6 years...the dismissal of the Supreme Court's appeal
Aug 14, 2025
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On the 14th, the Supreme Court upheld the plaintiff's defeat in an appeal filed by American composer Jonathan Robert Wright (hereinafter referred to as Johnny Only) against The Pinkfong Company.
Johnny Only filed a compensation suit in March 2019, claiming that the children's song 'Shark Family' created in 2015 by The Pinkfong Company (then Smart Study) plagiarized 'Baby Shark' which he announced in 2011.
Johnny Only argued that 'Baby Shark' is a secondary work created by giving unique characteristics to oral children's songs. The Pinkfong Company, however, explained that it was a remake of a North American word-of-mouth nursery rhyme, not 'Baby Shark'. Word of mouth nursery rhymes are not recognized as copyright infringement because there is no exclusive copyright of a specific person or organization due to the expiration of the author's unknown or copyright period.
Both the first and second trials ruled against the plaintiff, but Johnny Only appealed against it. However, when the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, 'Shark Family' remained a unique creation.
'Shark Family' entered the Billboard main single chart at #32 with the English title 'Baby Shark', marking the first time for a Korean children's song to enter the Billboard main chart. In 2018, it also entered the UK's official single chart, which is considered one of Billboard and two major pop charts.
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