SEOUL—A consortium of producers of adult content from the United States and Japan was fit to be tied Friday after South Korean prosecutors failed to address their concerns over what they claim is the widespread illegal uploading of adult content by South Korean citizens.
In July, a Seoul law firm representing 50 U.S. and Japanese porn producers filed a complaint against 10,000 local internet users who they accused of pirating the foreign content for profit.
However, prosecutors charged only 10 people with breach of copyright, which is punishable by jail time. In reply, producers have vowed to re-file their lawsuit next week, but this time will name 65,000 alleged violators who fit Seoul’s investigation criteria.
A lawyer for the displeased producers said that prosecutors were too lenient in only holding 10 people responsible when so many more actually took part in exploiting the foreign content for profit.
"Now, we've drawn up a new list of some 65,000 users who fit this guideline," Kim Han-Seo said. "We'll see whether the prosecutors will press charges against them all.” He alleged that some local internet users earned up to 30 million won (24,170 dollars) a month from other users who clicked on the pirated content.
The attorney also expressed displeasure at the fact that, contrary to their case, South Korean authorities had acted so decisively after the digital theft of a local mainstream blockbuster Haeundae, and accused officials of a double standard when it comes to taking seriously the theft of foreign adult content.
“We believe that [the prosecution] should not be discriminatory in applying copyright laws,” he said. “Illegal copying and distribution run rampant in Korea because it is one of the world’s most wired countries. We decided to take legal action to minimize our past business losses and to protect anticipated future profits.”
The firm also threatened to take the case to the U.S. government should it ultimately conclude that any future investigation by local authorioties is fatally biased.
