BTS asks military community app to stop using BTS, its members’ names

BTS‘s agency HYBE asked The Camp, an app used to send letters to those serving in the military, to stop using the band members’ names and pictures without consent.

All members of BTS are currently completing their mandatory military service.

“The company sent a statement to The Camp’s operator noting that The Camp violated publicity rights such as using the band’s name without the consent of both the band and the agency,” HYBE told Yonhap.

Separate communities for members, such as Jin, J-Hope and RM, were made on The Camp application. The communities used the members’ names and words such as “official,” which may confuse fans that the community is an official communication channel the agency made.

HYBE said the band already has a fan community platform on Weverse, adding The Camp’s communities for the members are not “official.”

The Camp deleted the band’s name and the word “official” from its communities, with the note “This is not BigHit Music’s official account.”

The Camp also sold dolls featuring members’ real names on their badges on its commerce platform, The Camp Mall, for 56,000 won ($42).

The platform took down the dolls with the artists’ names and posts regarding BTS after HYBE said they violated the personality rights of the members’ names.

“The agency plans to reinforce its monitoring system and will take strong actions against those who violate its publicity right,” the agency added.

To find out more about BTS, visit Celeb Confirmed! 

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]