Back in early 2007, Korean popstar Ivy released a music video that looked remarkably like Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Square Enix took Korean entertainment production company Fantom and producer Hong Jeong-ho to court.
And in March 2008, a judgment was passed, ruling in Square Enix's favor with a damage award of approximately US$244,000.
The defendants loaded an appeal, and that the Seoul High Court has reached its decision: Fantom and Hong Jeong-ho must pay approximately US$326,000 to Square Enix.
A statement from Square Enix's General Counsel Yasuhiko Hasegawa reads:
We have been consistent in our claims during this lawsuit regarding the value of Final Fantasy VII Advent Children and our Final Fantasy series, as well as the damages the company has suffered as a result of the modification and adaptation made without obtaining permission. The initial amount awarded in this case, 300 Million Korean Won, was the largest the courts in South Korea have ever awarded in cases infringing one single work of art, and having this figure increased to 400 Million Korean Won following an appeal by the defendants is further affirmation of the severity of this copyright infringement as well as the recognition and value the Final Fantasy series has attained in South Korea. Square Enix will continue to take decisive action against any infringements upon our intellectual property, recognizing that this property is one of our most crucial resources.