A group that raked in tens of billions of won in revenue by illegally uploading so-called "binge-watch" videos—short edits of popular drama and films—to YouTube has been sent to prosecutors.
According to the Yangsan Police Station in South Gyeongsang on the 31st, eight people, including A, the head of a company operating YouTube channels, and one corporation were sent without detention on charges including violating the Copyright Act.
A was found to have posted videos on YouTube since 2019 that briefly summarize key scenes and endings of a film, then to have established a corporation in 2023 and expanded the business.
The company operated in an organized structure, with a writers' team drafting scripts, an editing team handling video edits and uploads, and a management support team overseeing revenue and funds.
Police found that they edited, without permission, dramas and films from seven content companies, including the three major broadcasters, and posted them on a total of 26 YouTube channels. They mainly compressed roughly two-hour videos into 10–15 minute clips that showed key content and even the endings. Some videos recorded 6.3 million views, and the average view count for all videos was about 530,000.
They also confirmed indications that if a specific channel was blocked due to a copyright infringement report, the group continued operations by reuploading the same video on another channel.
Through searches and data analysis, police believe the group earned approximately 3.745 billion won in illicit gains from Aug. 2024 to Apr. this year. To recover the criminal revenue, police filed for a pre-indictment seizure and preservation order on the 26th.