Partner
Hyeok AHN
Game · Sports · Entertainment
Expertise
Recently reviewed Professionals
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.
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]
- Advised on the production, investment and distribution of the films and prepared and reviewed agreements in relation thereto.
- 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 counsel 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
- Litigated to protect the titles of famous entertainment programs such as (preliminary injunction and damage compensation actions)
- Attorney 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.
- [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]
- 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
- Counsel on information network law regarding online game service and consumer protection act in relation to e-commerce
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 |
Work Experience
| 2012-Present | Lee & Ko |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Languages
| Korean and English |
Awards and Recognitions
| 2018 | Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Achievement award from Seoul Bar Association |
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
