Lee Young-ae to file suit over her portrait rights
Published on | Source
By Lee Hyo-sik
Popular actress Lee Young-ae will file a compensation suit against a company managing her portrait rights for allowing a local kimchi maker to use her photo without her consent.
Lee's legal representative, Kim & Jung, said Thursday that the actress never agreed to the use of her photo as a model for a kimchi product to be introduced by Ilchung-Myeongga. It will soon file a lawsuit against the company managing her portrait rights, identified only as "C", for compensation.
Lee has a broad fan base in Asia for her 2003 TV series "Jewel in the Palace" ("Dae Jang Geum").
On April 26, the kimchi manufacturer said it will launch a new product featuring Lee in a traditional Korean costume, which she wore in the popular TV drama, on its package.
It will market the item to consumers in Japan, China and Southeast Asian countries where Korean dramas and movies are popular.
Kim & Jung affirmed Lee never consented to the use of her photo by the kimchi maker.
"It is true that Lee had a contract with company C, giving it rights to exercise her portraits on several products. But to do so, it must receive prior approval from Lee. But the firm did not abide by this rule. Lee found out only through media reports that her photo had been put on the packages of kimchi products", the law firm said.
It said Lee's image as a premier model and actress has been severely compromised, adding she will terminate the contract with company C and seek compensation from it in court as well.
In response, Ilchung-Myeongga said it signed a legitimate contract with company C and bought the rights to place her image on the packaging of its new product, stressing it did nothing wrong.
A company spokesman said it is also suffering damage from the ongoing controversy, adding it will consider seeking compensation from company C.
'이영애 김치?' "손해배상 청구할 것"
이영애가 이른바 '대장금 이영애'를 모델로 한 김치에 대해 "김치 출시 및 초상권 사용에 대해 동의한 사실 없다"며 해당업체에 대해 손해배상청구를 할 것이라고 밝혔다.
이영애의 대리인인 법무법인 영진은 27일 보도자료를 통해 "이영애 씨는 김치를 출시한 일청명가와는 직접적으로 어떠한 내용의 초상권사용 허락 또는 관련 계약을 체결한 사실이 전혀 없다"고 말햇다.
이어 "다만, C 회사와 '대장금' 드라마 이미지에 대하여 일부 품목에 대한 초상권사용계약을 체결한 사실은 있으나 계약에 따르면 초상권 사용을 위해서는 반드시 사전 승인을 받아야 한다"며 "그러나 C 회사는 이 조항을 전혀 지키지 않았다"고 주장했다.
이영애 측은 "김치 출시에 관하여는 이번 언론보도를 통해 이영애 씨 및 소속사도 처음 알게 된 사항"이라며 "따라서 이영애 씨는 C 회사를 상대로 계약위반을 이유로 계약해제예정 통보 및 손해배상 청구를 할 것"이라고 밝혔다.
앞서 마케팅사 에이엠지글로벌은 지난 26일 일청명가가 이영애가 드라마 '대장금'에서 연기한 '장금이'의 모습을 브랜드로 삼은 김치 '애(愛)'를 출시했다고 밝혔다.
Popular actress Lee Young-ae will file a compensation suit against a company managing her portrait rights for allowing a local kimchi maker to use her photo without her consent.
Lee's legal representative, Kim & Jung, said Thursday that the actress never agreed to the use of her photo as a model for a kimchi product to be introduced by Ilchung-Myeongga. It will soon file a lawsuit against the company managing her portrait rights, identified only as "C", for compensation.
Lee has a broad fan base in Asia for her 2003 TV series "Jewel in the Palace" ("Dae Jang Geum").
On April 26, the kimchi manufacturer said it will launch a new product featuring Lee in a traditional Korean costume, which she wore in the popular TV drama, on its package.
It will market the item to consumers in Japan, China and Southeast Asian countries where Korean dramas and movies are popular.
Kim & Jung affirmed Lee never consented to the use of her photo by the kimchi maker.
"It is true that Lee had a contract with company C, giving it rights to exercise her portraits on several products. But to do so, it must receive prior approval from Lee. But the firm did not abide by this rule. Lee found out only through media reports that her photo had been put on the packages of kimchi products", the law firm said.
It said Lee's image as a premier model and actress has been severely compromised, adding she will terminate the contract with company C and seek compensation from it in court as well.
In response, Ilchung-Myeongga said it signed a legitimate contract with company C and bought the rights to place her image on the packaging of its new product, stressing it did nothing wrong.
A company spokesman said it is also suffering damage from the ongoing controversy, adding it will consider seeking compensation from company C.
'이영애 김치?' "손해배상 청구할 것"
이영애가 이른바 '대장금 이영애'를 모델로 한 김치에 대해 "김치 출시 및 초상권 사용에 대해 동의한 사실 없다"며 해당업체에 대해 손해배상청구를 할 것이라고 밝혔다.
이영애의 대리인인 법무법인 영진은 27일 보도자료를 통해 "이영애 씨는 김치를 출시한 일청명가와는 직접적으로 어떠한 내용의 초상권사용 허락 또는 관련 계약을 체결한 사실이 전혀 없다"고 말햇다.
이어 "다만, C 회사와 '대장금' 드라마 이미지에 대하여 일부 품목에 대한 초상권사용계약을 체결한 사실은 있으나 계약에 따르면 초상권 사용을 위해서는 반드시 사전 승인을 받아야 한다"며 "그러나 C 회사는 이 조항을 전혀 지키지 않았다"고 주장했다.
이영애 측은 "김치 출시에 관하여는 이번 언론보도를 통해 이영애 씨 및 소속사도 처음 알게 된 사항"이라며 "따라서 이영애 씨는 C 회사를 상대로 계약위반을 이유로 계약해제예정 통보 및 손해배상 청구를 할 것"이라고 밝혔다.
앞서 마케팅사 에이엠지글로벌은 지난 26일 일청명가가 이영애가 드라마 '대장금'에서 연기한 '장금이'의 모습을 브랜드로 삼은 김치 '애(愛)'를 출시했다고 밝혔다.
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