How NewJeans Could Keep Their Group Name After Leaving ADOR
This article is part of our coverage of HYBE vs. ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin. You can read more and view the entire timeline here.
On November 28, NewJeans held an emergency press conference to address their contract termination. They will be leaving ADOR and continuing as a group elsewhere, but what will happen to the NewJeans name?
Danielle told reporters that NewJeans is aware that they might not be able to keep using their current group name. Under the right circumstances, however, it’s possible that NewJeans wouldn’t need to rebrand.
Lastly, we are well aware that from today we might not be able to use our current name NewJeans. However, that doesn’t mean that we are giving up on the name at all. We will continue to fight for NewJeans. Regardless of our name, remember, NewJeans never dies.
— Danielle
In 2022, GOT7 made history as the first K-Pop group to ever become a self-owned group.
To do so, GOT7 needed to acquire all trademark rights to their name after leaving JYP Entertainment. After leader Jay B trademarked his own recording label, 528Hz, he filed for the rights to album production, lightsticks, live performances, and more. Jay B obtained the rights to GOT7’s unit names and now officially shares ownership of them with the corresponding members.
Jaebeom has officially trademarked everything for 528Hz as a record label, production of albums, dvds, tours, lightsticks, licensing of film/tv, live performances and so much more as of April 11th, 2022! 🎉🥳 pic.twitter.com/Usrs8EcQEb
— VII (@VIIWITHGOT7) April 19, 2022
As of 2023, iKON also owns their group’s trademarks following their split from YG Entertainment, and INFINITE is still promoting under their group name after leaving Woollim Entertainment.
At first, Dongwoo and I went to see our former CEO. We ate together and we told him honestly about our plans roughly. We told him the direction that we wanted for our activities, and sought his understanding. I think that this is something that we must do, because he was the person who created us.
After this, I also met him personally around twice, and I kept talking to him about this. At the end, all of the members had a meal with him, and we asked him to cheer us on. We had some beer while eating with him. CEO Lee Jung Yeob asked me, “Your birthday is in April, right? I’ll give [the name] to you as a present.” That was how he thankfully agreed to this so coolly.
— INFINITE’s Sunggyu
Unfortunately, since NewJeans and ADOR are not parting on amicable terms–unlike GOT7 and JYP Entertainment–NewJeans might have a long, difficult road ahead of them if they want to acquire all the trademarks needed to continue as NewJeans.
Given that so much of a K-Pop group’s identity is tied to their group name, it’s understandable that both fans and idols wouldn’t want a name change. GOT7’s BamBam once compared agencies who refuse to relinquish group names to “thugs.”
A lot of agencies are just thugs, and most won’t give you the name even when they gain nothing from holding on to it, which is something I’ll never understand.
—BamBam
Did you miss NewJeans’ press conference? Here’s a recap.
NewJeans’ Emergency Press Conference In A Nutshell: 4 Key Takeaways
