South Korean Court Clears Baby Shark Producers of Plagiarism Allegations

The South Korean Supreme Court has ruled that the creators of the popular children’s song ‘Baby Shark’ did not plagiarize a 2011 version of the tune recorded by US composer Jonathan Wright. The decision ends a six-year-long legal battle, upholding previous rulings in favor of Pinkfong, the company behind ‘Baby Shark.’ Wright had claimed that Pinkfong’s version was based on his copyrighted interpretation of a children’s folk song, but the court concluded that his version was not significantly altered from the original, meaning it did not warrant separate copyright protection. ‘Baby Shark’ was first released in 2016 and became a viral phenomenon, with its catchy tune and dance moves being a hit with children globally. The song reached record-breaking view counts on YouTube and has been translated into over 100 languages. Despite earlier international adaptations, Pinkfong’s version outperformed all others in popularity. Wright had originally believed Pinkfong’s use of the folk song was permissible, but he filed the lawsuit after Pinkfong took legal action when the song was used in a South Korean political campaign. The court’s decision marks a significant conclusion to the case, affirming the public domain status of the folk song behind ‘Baby Shark.’