Court Confirms Ban on 'Flaming Baseball' Production

A court has upheld an injunction prohibiting the production and sale of "Bulkkot Baseball." The preliminary injunction was confirmed as the appeal filed by production company Studio C1 was dismissed.

Studio C1 has produced seasons 1 through 3 of the entertainment program "Choegang Baseball," in which retired baseball players form a team and compete against strong teams. The program has been airing since 2022 and has established itself as JTBC's flagship sports entertainment show.

However, last year, JTBC claimed that Studio C1 had overcharged them billions of won by double-billing production costs per episode, sparking a conflict.

As the conflict escalated, JTBC announced its intention to produce season 4 with a new production team. In response, PD Jang Si-won launched a separate YouTube entertainment program, "Bulkkot Baseball," featuring the existing cast of "Choegang Baseball," starting in May of last year.

JTBC then filed for an injunction against Studio C1, the production company of "Bulkkot Baseball," seeking to prohibit copyright infringement and unfair competition. The court partially granted this request, ruling to prohibit the production and transmission of video content and sequential video content for "Bulkkot Baseball." At the time, JTBC stated that the court had determined that season 1 of "Bulkkot Baseball" was substantially a sequel to "Choegang Baseball."