This article was published on March 5, 2025, at 1:16 p.m. on the ChosunBiz RM report site.
Coupang won the second trial of the copyright lawsuit raised by the director of the drama 'Anna.' The director claimed that Coupang damaged the work by editing down the number of episodes without permission.
The Seoul High Court's Civil Division 4 reported that the director Lee Joo-young, who directed the drama 'Anna,' lost the copyright infringement prevention lawsuit against Coupang and production company A in January. This is the same judgment as the first trial.
Coupang released the drama 'Anna' as a Coupang Play original (exclusive release) in June 2022. However, it became embroiled in controversy in less than two months. The director raised issues, claiming that Coupang Play approved a total of eight episodes but reduced it to six episodes through re-editing without obtaining their consent. They argued that the intended context and narrative were destroyed.
Afterward, Coupang added an eight-episode 'director's cut,' but the director filed a lawsuit claiming that their work was damaged. This was the first lawsuit that attracted attention over the infringement of the director's creative rights by the investment distribution company, an OTT platform.
In February of last year, the first trial court ruled in favor of Coupang. The court stated, 'The final editing decision authority for the drama lies with Coupang.' To produce the drama, the director and company A signed a directing service contract, while Coupang and company A contracted to produce the original series. The contract between the director and company A included a clause stating, 'If there are disputes regarding the final edit and no agreement can be reached, the final opinion of company A will be followed.' Additionally, the contract between company A and Coupang included content stating that 'Coupang is the sole and exclusive owner of all rights to the program' and has editing authority.
The second trial court also reached the same conclusion. It noted, 'The first trial ruling is valid, thus dismissing the plaintiff (the director)'s appeal.'
The director, dissatisfied with the second trial verdict, filed a petition to the Supreme Court on January 31.