South Korea court rules Baby Shark song not plagiarized

South Korea’s Supreme Court has decided that the viral “Baby Shark” song was not plagiarized.

The ruling came after American children’s songwriter Johnathan Wright, known as Johnny Only, accused South Korean company Pinkfong of copying his version of the song. Wright claimed he created an earlier version with the famous “doo doo doo doo doo doo” chorus, which he posted online in 2011.

However, the court said Wright was not the original composer. Judges explained that his version was only one of many similar versions of the old campfire song “Baby Shark,” which had existed long before. Because of this, they said his work was not creative enough to be protected by copyright law.

Pinkfong released its own “Baby Shark” video in 2015 and later reuploaded it in 2016. That version quickly became a global sensation, eventually becoming the most-watched video on YouTube with over 10 billion views by 2022. Today, it has been viewed more than 16 billion times worldwide.

Wright had demanded around $21,600 in damages when he first filed the lawsuit in Seoul in 2019. The Supreme Court has now closed the case, confirming that Pinkfong did not plagiarize his work.