The legal dispute between JTBC's baseball variety show 'Strongest Baseball' and the production company Studio C1's 'Flaming Baseball' continues to escalate, as production of 'Flaming Baseball' persists despite a court ruling.
According to sources in the broadcasting and legal sectors on the 6th, the 60th Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court dismissed Studio C1's objection to the injunction prohibiting copyright infringement and unfair competition on the 3rd. Last December, the court had ruled that YouTube's 'Flaming Baseball' was essentially a sequel to JTBC's 'Strongest Baseball', thereby imposing a comprehensive ban on the production and transmission of the videos. With this dismissal, the production ban remains in effect.
The dispute originated from issues regarding production costs and program rights between JTBC and Studio C1. The conflict surfaced when director Jang Si-won, who was directing 'Strongest Baseball', launched new content 'Flaming Baseball' with the original cast. JTBC initiated legal proceedings, claiming that the new content infringed on the achievements and format of 'Strongest Baseball'.
Previously, the court had issued an injunction to restrict the production and distribution of videos related to 'Flaming Baseball'. Studio C1 filed an objection, but it was not accepted, maintaining the original decision.
Despite the situation, the 'Flaming Baseball' team has expressed their intention to continue production and is preparing for the next season. The production team announced plans to start the new season with a game against the independent baseball team Yeoncheon Miracle at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 19th.
JTBC maintains that it will consider additional actions if production continues despite the court's decision. Both parties are currently engaged in a main lawsuit over program rights and format usage.
'Strongest Baseball' aired up to its third season and gained popularity, but changes ensued amid conflicts over production leadership, affecting the program's operation. 'Flaming Baseball' continues production regardless of legal judgments, drawing attention to the future course of the dispute.
Reporter: Kim Ji-won, TenAsia bella@tenasia.co.kr