IST Entertainment has issued a statement addressing the trademark dispute with One Hundred over the trademark rights to The Boyz’ name.

On December 4, IST Entertainment clarified through an official statement, expressing regret over the spread of misinformation regarding the trademark issue and stating their intention to correct it.

Earlier that day, One Hundred, the new agency for The Boyz, expressed disappointment over IST Entertainment’s negotiation terms, claiming they couldn’t accept the unreasonable conditions proposed.

They said in a statement:

During negotiations with IST Entertainment regarding the trademark rights for The Boyz, we faced unreasonable terms proposed by IST. This has made it impossible for us to accept the conditions, despite the artists’ efforts over the past seven years to protect the trademark.
One Hundred has done its utmost to negotiate with IST Entertainment concerning the trademark issue. The members of The Boyz have also worked tirelessly to retain the trademark rights for the sake of their fans. We deeply regret that this process did not lead to a favorable outcome and express our disappointment toward IST Entertainment.

However, IST argues thats not the case and have issued a rebuttal. The company explained, “Contrary to reports, we decided to grant the trademark rights for ‘The Boyz’ to all 11 members free of charge and have already conveyed this intention to them. Additionally, we proposed that the members could use the trademark freely in any agreed-upon activities, including unit or solo projects.”

IST emphasized that the decision to offer the trademark rights to the members rather than a new agency was made to facilitate smooth future activities for the group and their fans. They refuted claims that they demanded excessive fees or made unreasonable requests. They said,

Additionally, for one member whose exclusive contract still had approximately six months remaining, we have decided to terminate the contract early to support their activities with the new agency. This decision has also been communicated to the member.
Our intention to grant free trademark usage to the members themselves rather than their new agency stems from our commitment to ensuring seamless connections between The Boyz and their fans and supporting the team’s long-term stability and success.
Claims that IST Entertainment demanded excessive trademark fees or made unreasonable demands to the new agency are not true. We were open to various proposals and only engaged in basic, industry-standard discussions to facilitate a smooth transition.

The Boyz’s contract with IST Entertainment will officially expire on December 5, after which the group will continue their activities under One Hundred.

Source: (A), (B)