An architect has accused the popular movie "Once We Were Us" of using his house design and a real building without permission.
As per AllKpop, Architect A, who runs an architectural firm and designed the real house in question, first noticed the similarities while watching the movie. Moon Ga Young plays the character Jungwon in the movie, and she is shown making a detailed model of a house.
"As an architect, I was pleased that a house I designed was rented out as a filming location, but depicting that building in the film as the protagonist's own creation constitutes a secondary copyright infringement under the standard architectural design contract," A said according to Maeil Business Newspaper.
He also said that no one ever contacted him before the movie came out and that neither his name nor his company was mentioned in the credits. "Instead, the credits listed a university architecture professor and multiple individuals under 'architectural model and panel,' which could mislead viewers into believing the structure was their creation," A explained.
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The house, which is in Cheoin-gu, Yongin, was finished in May 2020 and is shown near the end of the movie. A said that he sent two certified letters to the production company using addresses that anyone could find, but both letters were returned as undeliverable. He said, "I decided to bring the matter to public attention to protect creators' rights."
The production company replied, saying that they had gotten permission from the building owner to film there but had not fully thought about possible architectural copyright problems. A spokesperson said, "While the model in the film may evoke the real house, it is not identical and was intended as an artistic prop for narrative purposes. We are currently reviewing the legal aspects of the claim and aim to resolve the issue amicably."
The issue has also sparked debate about how much the film industry is aware of intellectual property, particularly when it comes to using real buildings as part of the plot. "This case highlights the importance of consulting creators when incorporating their designs into media projects," said an industry expert.
Fans have had mixed responses to the issue. Although many are still apprehensive about the possible unethical use of actual products/designs without attributing them to their rightful owners, there are still people who appreciate the efforts of the production company in trying to reach an agreement using this approach.
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