Korean Music Copyright Association Initiates Collection of 6.5 Billion Won in Royalties from Illegal Fan Game “WJMAX”

The Korean Music Copyright Association has begun collecting approximately 6.5 billion won in copyright fees from the illegal fan-made game “WJMAX,” which copies Neowiz’s “DJMAX Respect V.” An official from the association stated on the 11th that they have demanded 6.45922 billion won in royalties from streamer WooWagug (Oh Young-taek), agency Parable Entertainment, and developer SimsimhanMogi. “WJMAX” is a PC rhythm game created with Neowiz’s conditional permission to distribute it for free. However, it was shared freely on fan cafe “Wamulwon” and illegal site “WakTavernGames,” containing over 600 music files. According to the association’s data, the game was downloaded more than 480,000 times, with 341 songs managed by the association being used without authorization. The total amount claimed consists of 6.382 billion won for subscription-based download services and 77 million won for online games and animations. The calculation is based on the cost per song managed by the association (77 won), multiplied by the number of downloads (264,400) and the ownership percentage (91.93%). The association initially planned to base the claim on total views of posted content but adjusted it after Parable Entertainment argued that actual downloads might be less than half of the views. The association warned that failure to pay the copyright fees will result in corresponding civil and criminal legal actions, adding that legal firms will be involved if necessary. While the association generally does not disclose claim amounts publicly, it presumed the figure was released by the infringers since it is not significantly different from widely discussed estimates. The association emphasized that WooWagug, as the competition organizer, knew about the unauthorized use of music but still featured it in his live broadcasts to gain commercial benefits. It also criticized him for failing to prevent distribution on Wamulwon and WakTavernGames. In fact, a notice on WakTavernGames confirmed that WooWagug himself held the original copyright. An even more serious issue involves the illegal distribution of music files by WooWagug’s fan cafe Wamulwon and members of the idol group he produced, IVE. As of now, there are over 870 types of illegally shared files identified through reports and community checks. The leaked songs include works by domestic artists such as IU, Girls’ Generation, BLACKPINK, BTS, and aespa, as well as OSTs from foreign films like “The Greatest Showman,” “Frozen,” and “Les Misérables.” The association determined that WooWagug, as the cafe manager, allowed illegal distribution to occur, and Parable Entertainment cannot escape responsibility in this regard. The association stated it will take further actions after additional verification, unlike in the “WJMAX” case, noting that the illegal sharing of music files on cafes is likely to persist due to varying view counts per post and loss of records resulting from deletions following the controversy.