SK Planet sues Kakao subsidiary for data piracy

Locnall claims complete deletion of digital map database

By Yoon Sung-won

SK Planet, a mobile service-providing affiliate of SK Group, has sued a Kakao subsidiary for allegedly using its digital map database without permission.

The SK affiliate, which operates the nation’s most sought-after automobile navigation application, “T Map,” said Monday it filed a civil suit against Loc&All at the Seoul Central District Court Friday, calling for a suspension of infringement on T Map’s intellectual property. Locnall provides a similar app called “Kimgisa.”

SK Planet requested Loc&All to stop using T Map data including map, road network and point-of-interest information and scrap them. It also demanded 500 million won ($439,367) in compensation and issued a notification to customers that Kimgisa has used the SK Planet map information.

“We regret that we had to file the lawsuit even after a 13-month-long grace period and repeated requests to stop the use of our database,” SK Planet said.

“In order to prevent damage to consumers who use the Kimgisa app, we plan to refrain from filing an injunction to call for an immediate blocking of the app’s use.”

The company said it will not rule out taking criminal action if Loc&All does not show a willingness to solve the problem.

SK Planet said it had opened T Map's services as a platform since 2011, aiming at expanding the domestic mobile navigation app market and supporting local start-ups.

At that time, the company signed a contract with Loc&All to provide the digital map database of T Map from January 2011 to August 2014. Besides Locnall, SK Planet said it has sold the map database to enterprises such as Microsoft, Google and Renault Samsung Motors.

As the contract’s expiration date drew near in February last year, SK Planet and Loc&All agreed to a 13-month grace period to give Locnall time to replace the map database.

SK Planet argued that it has spotted multiple digital watermarks, which are unique signatures to T Map's digital map database, on the Kimgisa service, even after September this year and had asked Loc&All last month to stop using the database.

Loc&All then said: “We have purchased a commercial map from Korea Geospatial Information and Communication and self-developed the data, which has no relation with SK Planet’s database.”

Loc&All released a statement again Monday that it was not infringing the intellectual property.

“We have deleted all the T Map database from the Kimgisa service as of June 30, 2015, when the contract with SK Planet to the digital map was expired,” Loc&All said. “The pirate use of T Map digital map database, which SK Planet claims, has not been made, and thus there is no infringement of intellectual property.”

Loc&All said it has used a self-developed map for the Kimgisa app since July 1.

“We cannot help but recognize SK Planet’s claims and filing of the lawsuit as an act of a large enterprise blocking a start-up’s growth.”

Loc&All said it will hold a press conference to elaborate on Tuesday.

Kakao, operator of the nation’s top mobile messenger service, KakaoTalk, acquired Loc&All in May to connect the Kimgisa app to its call taxi service KakaoTaxi.