The members of the group NewJeans applied for a trademark for 'NJZ' the day before announcing their new activity name.
According to the Korean Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS), Minji, Hanni, Daniel, Haerin, and HAEIN applied for trademark rights in 10 institutional sectors, including advertising and merchandise sales, on Feb. 6, the day before they announced the new team name NJZ, including the NJZ logo.
The applicants are listed with the five members' real names, and the trademark application was handled by the law firm Sejong.
After declaring the termination of their exclusive contract with ADOR last November, the members of NewJeans officially announced their new team name 'NJZ' through the NJZ social media channel on the morning of Feb. 7.
In relation to this, ADOR noted, "The exclusive contract with the NewJeans members is legally valid, and the claim that it has been terminated is unilateral. We have filed for a confirmation of the validity of the exclusive contract, along with an injunction recognizing ADOR's status as a management agency under the exclusive contract, and we are awaiting the court's decision," and requested, "Please use the official team name 'NewJeans' based on a valid contract."
Afterward, the members opened new accounts on various social media platforms, including YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok under the team name NJZ, while ADOR stated, "NewJeans has official social media and YouTube and TikTok accounts for communication with fans, and all other accounts have been opened without prior consultation due to the exclusive contract," adding, "Activities such as posting content without passing through the official accounts violate the exclusive contract and may cause confusion among fans and advertisers, so we hope this can be restrained."
Meanwhile, the members will appear at the 'Complexcon Hong Kong' held at the AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong from March 21 to 23 under the team name NJZ, marking their first activity.
[Photo] Social Media
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