YG Entertainment has renewed their trademark registration for ‘G-Dragon.’ This means that the stage name ‘G-Dragon’ would belong to YG Entertainment, even if G-Dragon decides to leave YG Entertainment and sign with another company.
The ‘G-Dragon’ trademark was initially filed in February 2003 and had a validity period of 10 years. YG Entertainment renewed it once in February 2013, extending the validity period until September 13, 2023. In September 2023, YG Entertainment submitted an application for the renewal of the trademark registration for ‘G-Dragon,’ which is poised to be renewed for another decade.
This move by YG Entertainment is noteworthy, given that G-Dragon’s exclusive contract with the company expired in June 2023, and there are rumors that G-Dragon is in discussions with Warner Music for a new exclusive contract.
If G-Dragon decides to leave YG Entertainment and sign with another company, he would be unable to use his stage name ‘G-Dragon’ unless he reaches an agreement with YG Entertainment.
Park Soo Jo, a lawyer and professor at Yonsei University, commented on the situation surrounding G-Dragon’s trademark registration, stating:
On the one hand, the renewal of the trademark seems straightforward. However, there is also the concern that G-Dragon might file an objection and claim ownership, as has happened in previous cases.
On the other hand, if G-Dragon accepts the terms offered by YG Entertainment, he can still obtain trademark registration without any issues. This suggests that either G-Dragon and YG Entertainment have a close relationship, or that YG Entertainment has prepared well to ensure that G-Dragon cannot take the trademark through a prior contract.
