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Partner

Hyeok AHN

Game · Sports · Entertainment

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Prior to joining Lee&Ko in 2012, Mr. Ahn had had more than 10 years of experience as an in-house lawyer for the Korean Board of Audit and Inspection, KBS (Korean Broadcasting System), and as a lawyer at DW Partners, which is one of the most prominent law firms that specialized in entertainment practice. Since he joined Lee&Ko, Mr. AHN's main practice as an entertainment attorney include copyright, broadcast, film, game, and entertainment cases, covering both transactional practice and litigations.

Given his experience at KBS, Mr. AHN is able to provide practical and business-friendly advice as he advises his clients on various copyright and contract issues in the broadcasting and media industries, involving drama, entertainment shows, sports broadcasting, and other kinds of broadcasts.

Mr. AHN's cases would often involve wide range of cultural contents such as film, music, performance, exhibition, and game, and his clients include, among others, actors/actresses, musicians, and sports players. Based on his specialties, Mr. AHN co-authored "Film Dispute Cases" with the Korean Film Council, and drafted director agreement templates for the Korea Directors Guild.

Further, based on his past experience at the Korean Board of Audit and Inspection, he now competently represents various entities and persons against audits and inspections instituted by the Board, in order to defend the people's rights and interests.
Representative Cases
[Entertainment]
Litigated in an injunction action against unauthorized use of “BTS” name, images and logo
Advised on various contractual issues and conducted IP clearance related to production of global OTT drama series and films (e.g., directing, script, remake, original series), including Squid Game 2, Culinary Class Wars, Rugged Rugby: Conquer or Die and Gyeongseong Creature
Drafted title reports and reviewed E&O insurances for drama series: May I Help You?, Chief Detective 1958, Doubt (MBC); Trolley, Revenant, The First Responders, Payback: Money and Power (SBS); Reborn Rich (JTBC) and many more
Advised on regulatory issues and provided legislative monitoring on Korean content production practices and regulations for overseas producer associations
Reviewed chin of title issues for various remakes of Korean original content
Advised on the production, investment and distribution of the films and prepared and reviewed reviewed related agreements (e.g., Snowpiercer, A Single Rider).
Litigated in relation to the production and distribution agreement of the film
Advised on the contract related to production and investment of TV dramas and prepared and reviewed agreements in relation thereto.
Litigated for compensation related to the music director contract for drama
Litigated in relation to the investment agreement for opera
Litigated for compensation for damages to artwork exhibited in G Biennale
Advised and represented S Philharmonic Orchestra on various agreements and disputes
Provided legal advice to various singers, actors, comedians and entertainers regarding exclusive contracts, personal appearance contracts, scriptwriter agreements, film director's agreements and many
[Copyright, Trademark and IP]
Litigated in ban on copyright infringement regarding MBC report
Advised clients on contracts with Korean collecting societies
Represented clients in mediations before the Korea Copyright Commission
Advised global online platform service providers (e.g., YouTube, Facebook and Twitch) on music copyright license in Korea
Litigated to protect the titles of famous entertainment programs such as (preliminary injunction and damage compensation actions)
Served as legal counsel for MBC, KBS and SBS in lawsuit against Pandora TV and Freechel over copyright infringement
Litigated copyright infringement lawsuit between broadcasting company and copyright collective rights management organization
Litigated for and advised on the trademark protection of M, a famous international hair product company brand.
Represented a reputable game developer in game title trademark registration disputes
[Broadcasting]
Advised S, a US company, on regulation and contract related to broadcasting PPL in Korea
Advised on the operation and contract related matter for the host broadcaster for the Incheon Asian Game
Litigated in defamation action and criminal suit against the producer and the writer of KBS drama
Litigated and arbitrated defamation and portrait right violations in numerous reports
Served as a staff member of committee of vitalization of terrestrial digital broadcasting
[Game]
Advising global service providers on obtaining independent rating classification service provider license (including renewals) and navigate through regulatory inspections
Served as legal counsel for companies G and M in relation to applying to become an independent rating company under the Game Industry Promotion Act
Advised on the alleged plagiarism of games 'I Am a Baseball Director', and everybody
Advised Company B on speculativeness of the contents of its online game
Advised Company B, N on copyright and trademark infringement issues related to online games
Advised Company G on issues related to screen golf tournaments and gambling
Served as legal counsel on information network law regarding online game service and consumer protection act in relation to e-commerce
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Education
2008 Graduate School of Law, Korea University
2004 Judicial Research & Training Institute, Supreme Court of Korea
2001 Passed the bar
1999 Bachelor of Law in Jurisdiction, Pusan National University
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Work Experience
2012-Present Lee & Ko
2024 Task Force Chief of Korean Bar Association’s Task Force on Establishing Policy on Attorney Agents
2016- Present Director, Korea Entertainment Law Society
2015-Present Legal Counsel, Korea Directors Guild
2014-Present Director, Korea Computer Game Law Association
2016-Present Lecturer, Korea Copyright Commission
2012-Present Advisory Member, the Financial Advisory Committee, the Financial Supervisory Service
2009-2012 Lecturer, Graduate School of Art Management, Chugye University for the Arts
2008-2011 Associate, DW Partners
2006-2007 In-house lawyer, KBS
2004-2006 Vice-auditor (Attorney),The Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea
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Admissions
2004 Admitted to bar, Korea
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Languages
Korean and English
Awards and Recognitions
2018 Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award
2012 Achievement award from Seoul Bar Association
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Publications / Presentations / ETC
'Film Dispute Cases' (Korean Film Council, Communications Books, 2013)
'Law in Music: Copyrights That You Should Know' (Music Journal, monthly publication since Feb. 2017 to Jan. 2019.)
'Using Video Clips in Entertainment Broadcast Programs and Copyright Infringement' (Copyright Culture, Oct. 2008)
'Analysis on Major Cases Related to Entertainment Business in 2007' (Law Papers, Aug. 2008)
'Infringement of Broadcast Program Rights and Responsibility of Online Service Provider' (Copyright Culture, Apr. 2008)
Copyright Infringement by DS-DVR Service Provider (Entertainment Law, 2nd Vol.)
Actual situation of training of press law from the field (Press Arbitration, Winter, 2007)
Preliminary injunction of banning broadcasting and countermeasures (Producer Union Newsletter, July, 2007)
Defamation and the countermeasures (PD Journal, 2007)
Lectures on copyright and contract disputes as part of various training courses provided by the Korea Copyright Commission (since 2007 to present)
Training press arbitration, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)
Lecture on case of copyright, Korea Creative Contents Agency
Lecture on copyright and radio broadcasting, Korea Producers and Directors' Educational Institute
Lecture on case of copyright, course on the regulation of Intellectual property rights, Institute of Justice
Seminar on 'Understanding Copyrights Through Production and Use of Cultural Contents' at the Samjong KPMG's 4th Culture & Entertainment Seminar (2017)
Debating panel at the 12th Youngsan Legal Form of Busan International Film Festival
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