Republic of Korea: Fair Trade Commission issued ruling to 23 webtoon and web novel industries on copyright-related terms and conditions

On 16 May 2025, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) announced the correction of 1'112 unfair terms found in copyright contracts used by 23 content producers, publishers, and serialisation platforms in the webtoon and web novel sectors. The review covered companies including Ridibooks, Daewon C.I., and Joara, and focused on clauses related to publishing rights, serialisation, translation, illustration, and secondary use rights. The KFTC identified 21 types of unfair terms, including provisions assigning derivative work rights without consent, clauses allowing unilateral modification of payment terms, excessive penalties or liability imposed on copyright holders, and restrictions infringing on moral rights and attribution. The companies involved have agreed to amend the relevant terms accordingly.