MBK Entertainment's Trademark Application For T-ara's Name Is Denied + Agency Releases Response

MBK Entertainment’s application to trademark T-ara’s name has been denied.

On August 8, it was reported that MBK Entertainment’s application had been rejected by the Korean Intellectual Property Office. The agency was contacted for a response and they stated, “It is true that our trademark application for the name ‘T-ara’ was denied. However, we have a total of four opportunities to file an application, meaning we have three more chances to plead our case. We plan to submit another application after strengthening our case with more referential documents.”

It was revealed in January 2018 that MBK Entertainment had filed a trademark application for the group’s name a month before, the same month that the agency’s contracts with Hyomin, Eunjung, Qri, and Jiyeon had ended. The members of T-ara filed documentation outlining grounds for rejection of MBK Entertainment’s application in January as well.

If MBK Entertainment’s application is approved, the members will not be able to promote under the name T-ara for at least 10 years. They will also have to pay royalties to the agency if they perform any of the songs they released under the name T-ara, even if they are promoting under a different name.

Since leaving the agency, the members of T-ara have been focusing on individual activities. It remains to be seen whether the Korean Intellectual Property Office will maintain their stance on the trademark issue for the group in future applications by MBK Entertainment.

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