According to Ten Asia on December 4, trademark negotiations between THE BOYZ’s new agency One Hundred and their former agency IST Entertainment have fallen apart. Previously, it was reported that discussions regarding branding were ongoing following the complete move of THE BOYZ to One Hundred.
It was reported that IST had initially asked for billions of won for trademark rights. When One Hundred refused, IST proposed several conditions in exchange for permission to use the trademark. Some of these conditions were said to potentially limit THE BOYZ’s musical activities and go beyond what is generally considered reasonable. One Hundred reportedly found these conditions unacceptable.
The breakdown of negotiations is a loss for all parties involved. Without the members, the “THE BOYZ” brand has little value to IST. Meanwhile, THE BOYZ loses the name that embodies their history and legacy as a group.
The members of THE BOYZ have expressed a strong desire to keep their group name, citing the memories they’ve created with their fandom under that name. Reports suggest that some members were seen in tears after learning of the breakdown in negotiations. However, the opposing positions of the two sides ultimately led to this unfortunate outcome.
According to One Hundred, THE BOYZ is preparing to continue its activities under a new name such as “The Boys” or “The New Boyz”.
Meanwhile, THE BOYZ have been active in their musical activities. In October they released their ninth mini-album “TRIGGER”, which sold around 560,000 copies in its first week (according to Hanteo Chart). This marked the group’s third “half million sales” following “THRILL-ING” and “Sixth Sense.” On December 2, they released the winter special single album “Last Kiss” to celebrate their debut anniversary.
Since their debut in 2017, THE BOYZ has achieved significant milestones, including winning Mnet’s “Road to Kingdom” in 2020 with their outstanding performances and expanding their fan base through their participation in “Kingdom.” The group continues to be recognized for hit songs such as “THRILL RIDE” and “The Stealer.”
Source: Daum
