RIIZE Accused of Plagiarizing a Local Brand in their Merchandise

A Korean local brand has recently accused SM Entertainment of copying one of their designs for RIIZE’s official goods sold in Japan.

Specifically, the company shared a post on Instagram expressing disappointment at the presence of a product at RIIZE’s concert in Japan that closely resembled one of BitbyBit’s designs.

The brand displayed images of their heart-shaped keychain with 2 photo frames and a keychain that is also being sold by RIIZE, indicating a clear similarity in design and dimensions between the two products.

The brand clarified that although both objects were heart-shaped, they should have had unique proportions and curves. However, upon closer inspection, even the placement of the holes were identical, leading to speculation of a potential error. The brand further stated that they had personally designed the heart shape and crafted the mold themselves to avoid mass production. In fact, they have even filed for a design patent for their heart shape design along with two identification photos.

The brand states that although their design is patented in Korea, it is challenging to enforce those rights in other countries. As RIIZE’s merchandise was being sold in Japan, they were unable to take any action.

They further clarify that they are not assigning any blame to the members of RIIZE themselves.

Recently, various discussions on Korean forums, such as Instiz, have focused on related topics. Netizens were astonished by the news and expressed their thoughts through comments such as, “The brand has even filed a patent for this, yet SM just copied it… They lack any sincerity,””It’s possible that SM is aware of this and is attempting to sell it in Japan,”and “The similarities are undeniable, even the placement of the holes is identical.”

The source for this information is Instiz and Instagram.