ADOR Wins Appeal Against Dolphiners Films Over NewJeans’ “ETA” Director’s Cut

ADOR has prevailed in its appeal-stage legal dispute with production company Dolphiners Films over the release of a director’s cut of NewJeans’ “ETA” music video.

On October 29, the Seoul High Court’s Civil Division 5-3 upheld a previous ruling ordering Dolphiners Films to pay ADOR ₩1 billion in damages, along with delayed-payment interest.

The court dismissed the appeals, leaving the earlier judgment’s principal damages award unchanged.

Dispute Over the “ETA” Director’s Cut

The legal conflict began in August 2024, when Dolphiners Films released an alternative version of NewJeans’ “ETA” music video through a channel operated by director Shin Woo-seok.

ADOR objected to the publication, arguing that the edited video had been released without the company’s required approval and raised concerns involving Apple, which had collaborated on the original production.

Dolphiners Films maintained that the director’s cut had been released with verbal permission from former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin.

Min later testified during the initial proceedings that allowing music video directors to share their work on personal channels was common industry practice.

However, the court found that any alleged verbal permission did not override the contractual requirements governing the video’s release.

According to the appellate ruling, Dolphiners Films breached its obligations by publishing the modified version without obtaining the necessary prior company approval.

₩1 Billion Award Upheld

ADOR originally pursued approximately ₩1.1 billion in damages from Dolphiners Films and director Shin Woo-seok.

The first-instance court ruled in ADOR’s favor against the production company in January 2026, ordering it to pay ₩1 billion.

The court rejected the separate ₩100 million damages claim against Shin personally.

The October 29 appellate decision preserves that outcome, leaving the company’s financial liability in place without imposing the rejected personal damages award on the director.

Further Proceedings Remain Possible

The ruling marks another significant development in the legal dispute surrounding the production and distribution of NewJeans’ music videos.

Importantly, this is a civil judgment concerning the contractual obligations of a production company. It is not a criminal conviction, nor does it determine the legal status of NewJeans’ members or their separate contractual disputes.

A further appeal remains possible, and the October 29 decision does not independently establish that the damages have been paid.

The outcome reinforces the contractual approval requirements governing how music videos and alternative edits may be distributed, even when their creators maintain that permission was previously given.