Jewelry brand J.Estina has apologised to South Korean actress Song Hye Kyo for unofficially using actress' pictures for advertisement purposes. In a statement released by the jewelry house, the brand has affirmed that they agree to image infringement acquisition and intend to resolve matter privately.
The statement read: "The company has a lot of influence on the economy and Hallyu content, and we respect all the productions, actors, and businesses that work for those goals. Though we have little influence, we'll do our best for the progress of Hallyu. We will no longer dispute our former brand model Song Hye Kyo's claims of image infringement in the media. We apologize for causing worry. We will promptly exchange sides with the other party and resolve this."
The 34-year-old, who was one of the brand ambassadors for the jewelry house in the past, had filed a lawsuit against J.Estina, accusing them for unauthorised use of her pictures. As per Allkpop, the suit filed by Hye Kyo's label, UAA, read: "The brand has used Song Hye Kyo's images and video clips for advertisements. They made no requests of permission to validate Song Hye Kyo's rights. When issues regarding validation of rights came up, the brand requested to re-sign Song Hye Kyo as a brand model, but she has no interests in re-signing. We are not filing this lawsuit simply to receive monetary compensation, and if we do receive it, we will donate the amount."
Meanwhile, J Estina, who has also been one of the jewelry sponsors for the record breaking series, Descendants Of The Sun, stated that as official sponsors they have the rights to use Hye Kyo's picture. However, refuting J Estina's claim, Descendants Of The Sun makers stated: "In the case that the brand decides to use images and video clips of the actress outside of the drama, they should request permission from the actress."
