By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
A Seoul court ruled that the agency of popular female singer Ivy and the makers of her music video must pay 300 million won ($303,000) in compensation to a Japanese film company on grounds of plagiarism.
The ruling confirmed that the makers of the singer's music video ``Seduction Sonata'' plagiarized the Japanese animation ``Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children'' by Square Enix.
``Japanese copyrights should be protected and treated equally to domestic products,'' a judge from the Seoul Central District Court said in the ruling.
In the music video, the singer performs as a warrior, fighting against evil to protect a child and the Japanese firm claimed that the clip's sequences and outfits in them are similar to those in the popular Japanese video game. It was distributed on the Internet without the consent of the Japanese franchise last year.
Square Enix filed a request to stop the distribution of the video in March of 2007. The music video was eventually banned from being broadcast.
The Seoul court upheld the claim made by Square Enix and ordered Ivy's agency Fantom Entertainment Group and the music video director, Hong Jong-ho to pay 300 million won to the company.
The popular singer has been taking time off from show business since she encountered a series of scandals, including a problem with her ex-boyfriend who tried to blackmail her over a sex video tape he claimed he had taken of her. The singer denied the rumor and the boyfriend was indicted in November.