Baby Shark song not plagiarised - South Korean top court

The catchy children's song Baby Shark has been at the center of a legal battle for six years, but South Korea's Supreme Court has finally ruled that the song was not plagiarized. The dispute began when Jonathan Wright, an American composer who goes by the stage name Johnny Only, claimed that Pinkfong, the South Korean company behind the viral Baby Shark video, copied his version of the song. Wright had recorded his own version in 2011, based on a traditional children's folk song, and believed he owned the copyright to his interpretation. Pinkfong released their version in 2016, which quickly became a global sensation.

Wright argued that his version was unique and deserved copyright protection, especially after he saw Pinkfong threaten legal action against a South Korean political party for using Baby Shark in a campaign. This made Wright question whether his own version was also protected by copyright. However, Pinkfong maintained that their version was simply an arrangement of the same folk song, which is in the public domain and free for anyone to use. The court agreed with Pinkfong, stating that Wright's version did not change the original song enough to be considered a separate work under copyright law.

Baby Shark has a long history, with roots in the United States dating back to the 1970s. It was popular at summer camps and has had many different versions, some of which were much darker than Pinkfong's cheerful interpretation. International adaptations like the French 'Bebe Requin' and the German 'Kleiner Hai' existed before Pinkfong's version, but none achieved the same level of success. Since its release, Pinkfong's Baby Shark has become the most viewed video on YouTube, reaching over 10 billion views. It has been translated into more than 100 languages, performed by famous artists, and even made into a movie. Pinkfong's marketing director calls it 'K-Pop for the next generation,' showing just how influential the song has become.