[Dispatch=Lee A-Jin] The film "A Man Who Lives with the King" (director Jang Hang-Jun) has overcome a screening ban crisis.

The Seoul Western District Court Civil Division 21 (Presiding Judge Shin Myung-Hee) dismissed on the 23rd an injunction application filed by the bereaved family of drama "Eom Heung-Do" screenwriter against film production company Ondaworks, B Entertainment, and distributor Showbox.

The court ruled it is difficult to conclude that the film was produced based on the scenario submitted by the bereaved family. As a result, the production company of "A Man Who Lives with the King" will not face restrictions on screening the film on aircraft and ships or exporting it overseas.

The court stated, "While there are some similarities in subject matter and settings," and added, "It is difficult to recognize similarity in the unique and distinctive characteristics specific to the bereaved family's scenario."

It continued, "There are only some similarities in abstract character types or plot," and noted, "It is difficult to find similarities in the creative expression form that is subject to copyright protection."

The court also did not acknowledge the necessity of provisional measures. The court explained, "If film distribution is halted before the main lawsuit results are determined, the damage that the production company and numerous stakeholders may suffer could be greater."

During a hearing held in May, the bereaved family argued that certain settings and scenes in the film are similar to the scenario. They cited the process of Eom Heung-Do receiving secret orders from Danjong, the organization of detective groups, and escape scenes as evidence.

The production company countered that these are either historical facts or settings that commonly appear in historical works. It emphasized that the overall plot, theme, and character relationships of the two works are fundamentally different.

Meanwhile, "A Man Who Lives with the King" depicts the story of the exiled Danjong and loyal subject Eom Heung-Do. It was released on February 4th. It drew an accumulated 16.91 million viewers, ranking second in the all-time box office performance for domestic releases.

<Photo provided by Showbox>