EXO Ex-Member Tao Loses Lawsuit Against SM Entertainment
EXO ex-member Tao loses the legal battle against his former agency SM Entertainment on April 28. The Seoul Central District Court decided to rule on the lawsuit Tao had filed in 2015.
Shortly after informally existing EXO, Tao issued a lawsuit against the agency regarding his contract, which included unfair profit distribution, and racial discrimination, among many others. However, SM Entertainment contended, "The contract we used was based on a standard contract provided by the Fair Trade Commission so there is nothing that could be of issue in the contract."
It's worth mentioning that SM Entertainment also filed a lawsuit against the Chinese EXO ex-member for pursuing activities in the Chinese entertainment industry, therefore breaching his contract. However, this was dismissed by the Chinese court last November, citing that Tao holds rights to use his own name and portrait rights while promoting in China. A court ruling last September recommended both parties to make reconciliation efforts, but this has not happened. Both sides failed to arrive at an agreement.
Going back to the latest ruling regarding Tao's lawsuit to re-examine his contract, SM Entertainment has responded to the dismissal of the case with an official statement.
SM Entertainment stated, "Hello, this is SM Entertainment. On April 28, 2017, the Seoul Central District Court concluded the dismissal of Tao's claim to reexamine the efficiency of his exclusive contract. As a result, his entire lawsuit has been made void. SM Entertainment welcomes the court's decision and promises to carry out even more active business in China and Asia. Through this decision, we also hope that a system of abiding by the terms of fair entertainment contracts will be practiced widely, and expect further developments in the progress of entertainment industries in Korea, China, and the rest of Asia."
After a series of lawsuits that has been ongoing for the last 2 years, this decision implies that SM Entertainment has come out as the winner against the estranged EXO member. Meanwhile, Tao has yet to release a statement regarding the matter.
