The group QWER continues its way.
On the 29th, QWER announced the notification of receiving MD products. It also included a guide to receiving 'Cheering Stick' which is in question.
QWER recently unveiled MD product designs related to the World Tour 'Location'. However, it was pointed out that the loudspeaker-shaped light stick overlaps with the official light stick design of The Boyz.
In response to the controversy, The Boyz agency Won Hundred proposed a design change, but could not reach an agreement"He declared a strong response, including legal action. Then, QWER responded that there was no copyright problem at all after checking with experts such as lawyers and lawyers, saying, `It is regrettable that we declared legal action during smooth consultations.'
However, it is an unwritten rule in the fandom world that idol goods use something different from other idols. The light stick has already become a symbol of fandom in itself, as in the shape of the crown is Big Bang and in the shape of the hammer is Black Pink, and other junior singers do not touch it. This is not a sudden deterrence, but a long unwritten rule that has been passed down since the first generation of idol activities in the 1990s. However, QWER violated the identity of senior singer THE BOYZ. Moreover, Co-Fan Global, the producer of THE BOYZ light stick, has also registered its design rights for loudspeaker light stick in 2022. There are enough points that can lead to intellectual property infringement.
Nevertheless, conflicts between fandom arose as QWER mentioned 'Expert' without an apology. Online disclosure certification posts are continuing, such as being illegally filmed by QWER fans after the '2025 Asia Top Artist Festival', or QWER fans threatened to kill THE BOYZ fans by giving them white chrysanthemum flowers, asking them to go to the funeral.
In response, the Korea Entertainment Producers Association (hereinafter referred to as the Federation of Korean Entertainment Producers) also stepped up. On the 29th, the Federation of Economic Cooperation said "Institutional overhaul is urgently needed to protect intellectual property rights and creativity. It actively urges the establishment of standard guidelines so that protective devices can be clearly applied to the meaningful creative assets of each agency, artist, and fandom. A culture of mutual understanding and respect between fandom should be established. The association and related agencies will do their best to mediate between the parties and come up with effective measures to prevent recurrence. In the future, we will emphasize the initial planning-deliberation system so that the pre-registration, public review, and industry pre-consultation process of official goods design can be established."
However, after the announcement of the Federation of Korean Industries' statement, QWER has continued its maverick move, expressing its intention to push ahead with the sale of goods including cheering sticks. There is growing opposition to QWER's move, which ignored the position of the Federation of Korean Industries, which has more than 400 management companies.
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