FIFTY FIFTY’s Agency Files for Trademark Rights in Major Markets

ATTRAKT, the agency of the girl group FIFTY FIFTY, has officially applied for trademark rights in the US, UK, China, and Japan. This comes after the group filed to suspend their exclusive contract, allowing them to operate independently. However, this development may restrict the members from performing under the name FIFTY FIFTY overseas without ATTRAKT’s consent.

On July 5, ATTRAKT filed for trademark rights in the four countries. The applications have already been assigned numbers and are currently in the process of being officially registered. According to Jong-Hak Jeon, a patent attorney representing ATTRAKT, each country’s trademark rights should be obtained individually due to the principle of national independence in intellectual property law.

Previously, ATTRAKT had applied for the English name of FIFTY FIFTY as a trademark in Korea on May 15. Later, on June 19, it was revealed that the four members who had requested the suspension of their exclusive contract also applied for the Korean name as a trademark. However, due to the Treaty Priority Right System in trademark law, countries like the US and the UK look at the first application date in Korea, May 15, as the standard. Ergo, even if the girls apply for trademark rights overseas in the future, the priority will be given to ATTRAKT.

What if ATTRAKT gets the rights?

There is no evidence that the members have applied for trademark rights overseas. If ATTRAKT’s overseas trademark rights are officially registered, their options will be reduced. Given the current situation, even if the members find a way to operate independently, taking domestic stages will be difficult. That’s why many believe FIFTY FIFTY may focus on overseas activities for now by partnering with a foreign label, considering their notable achievements on the US and UK charts. They took their first step on that road by contributing to the Barbie soundtrack.

But if ATTRAKT gets the rights, they can’t use the FIFTY FIFTY name overseas. That will put a monkey wrench in their plans. Stay tuned for more updates on this case. —K-Pop News Writer

Featured Image: When the MV for “Cupid” crossed 100M views, ATTRAKT posted a performance video for the song. Source: YouTube/FIFTY FIFTY’s official YouTube channel.