Intellectual property agency to crack down on counterfeit Blackpink merchandise

Girl group Blackpink [YG ENTERTAINMENT]

Blackpink’s finale concert this weekend in Seoul will have the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) cracking down on fake Blackpink merchandise.

The Intellectual Property Police — founded by the office in 2021 to tackle crimes against intellectual property — will patrol the subway station and entrances near the Gocheok Sky Dome to crack down on unauthorized Blackpink merchandise sold near the stadium.

A common sight seen around concert venues are stools and stands selling artist-themed merchandise, ranging from photo cards and light sticks to cushions and hair bands, mostly made without the agency’s permission.

“We’ve been monitoring counterfeit Blackpink-related merchandise sold online since last month and was able to confirm that a large quantity of counterfeit Blackpink-related merchandise was circulating online, which is why we plan to have a crackdown [at the venue],” KIPO said.

KIPO has also de-listed counterfeit merchandise sold online and removed counterfeit sellers from online sales platforms, and with the help of entertainment agencies, will continue to crack down on counterfeit merchandise sold online and offline.

Blackpink will complete its world tour “Born Pink,” which brought more than 1.75 million fans together worldwide, with a finale concert at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro District, western Seoul on Saturday and Sunday.

To find out more about Blackpink, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]