HYBE Launches Legal Crackdown on Bootleg BTS Merch Ahead of MetLife Stadium Shows

HYBE is not playing with the bootleggers. With BTS set to bring their World Tour Arirang to East Rutherford's MetLife Stadium on August 1 and 2, the South Korean entertainment giant is taking preemptive legal action to protect its intellectual property and its bottom line. According to reporting from Music Business Worldwide, BIGHIT MUSIC, HYBE, and HYBE America filed a lawsuit on July 10 in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey targeting unidentified counterfeiters. The lawsuit, filed by law firm Loeb & Loeb, names John Does, Jane Does, and XYZ Companies 1-100. Rather than waiting to identify individual sellers, the filing seeks a court order that authorizes law enforcement and HYBE representatives to seize and impound counterfeit goods being sold in the vicinity of MetLife Stadium before, during, and after the concerts. In the filing, HYBE pulled no punches, stating that the bootleg merchandise is generally of inferior quality and likely to injure the reputation of BTS. This is a highly calculated business maneuver, not an isolated incident. Music Business Worldwide reports that HYBE filed a similar complaint in Florida ahead of the tour's Tampa kickoff in April, and secured similar seizure orders at MetLife back in 2019. The financial stakes are massive. BTS's latest album, Arirang, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and racked up over 110 million Spotify streams in its first 24 hours. Fans looking for the real deal can purchase official tour merchandise through HYBE's authorized retail partner, Amazon.