[Maeil Business Newspaper] Webtoon “Leviathan” Copyright Dispute: Court Rules It Is Not a Sole Work of the Author

On August 18, 2025, Maeil Business Newspaper published a detailed report on the achievements of Lee & Ko’s Intellectual Property Practice Group.
According to the article, “The Suwon District Court’s 14th Civil Division ruled in a declaratory judgment action regarding copyright filed by Project Moon against the author of the webtoon Leviathan that the webtoon Leviathan is a joint work co-created by Project Moon and the author.”
The article further noted, “According to Lee & Ko, which represented Project Moon, Leviathan was produced under the company’s initiative based on Project Moon’s own fictional universe. The firm stated that the company was deeply involved in key creative processes such as developing the theme, characters, and storyboards, and that the court recognized these facts in its judgment.”