This trial could be groundbreaking. It turns out that you can't insult boysbands with impunity – even if they are... virtual.
A social media user who was ordered by a Seoul court to pay 500,000 won (about $360) for defamation of members of K-pop Plave's virtual band reported the BBC. This is 1 of the first judgments to defend the image of virtual idols.
Plave members are digital avatars whose voice and movement are created by anonymous artists utilizing motion-capture technology. The Internetnaut published offensive comments, suggesting among others that people behind avatars may be "ugly in reality". The court found that although characters are fictional, they can be identified with real people, and thus their insults are a form of defamation.
The Vlast agency, representing the team, claimed greater compensation and announced the appeal, indicating the precedent nature of the case.
