Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Intellectual Property Law Blogs -> Patent Arcade

Intellectual Property Law

: Patent Arcade

News: Korean Copyright Suit over Advent Rising

By Ross Dannenberg (Gamertag: Aviator)

I don't normally track foreign video game cases, but perhaps I should. However, it does make one more category of work for me in view of all my regular work and blogging efforts. If only I had some help... In any event, a reader (thanks Tim!) passed this morsel along, and its worth sharing.

Square Enix, the company best known for the Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts titles, recently won a copyright infringement lawsuit in South Korea over Fantom Entertainment Group over unauthorized use of scenes from Square Enix?s Final Fantasy VII: ADVENT CHILDREN, a CG-animated film. According to the press release, ?the amount of damages awarded [300 Million Korean Won] ? in this case is the largest the courts in South Korea have ever awarded in cases infringing one single work of art.? Square-Enix?s GC remarked that ?Square Enix will continue to take decisive action against any infringements upon the Company?s intellectual property, recognizing that this property is one of our most crucial resources."

The infringing subject matter at issue has to do with a scene from FFVII: Advent Children, and a music video from Korean singer Ivy in the song ?Sonata of Temptation.? The Korean singer appropriated the content from Square-Enix without their permission or authorization. Below are the links to the respective videos; the similarities between the two are immediately apparent, and quite striking.

Original Content from FFVII: Advent Children

Ivy - Sonata of Temptation (Music Video)

Square Enix Press Release

(Thanks to Tim Hsieh for finding this)

Full post as published by Patent Arcade on April 15, 2008 (boomark / email).