US Court Postpones Ruling on Korean Pop Star's Name

A U.S. court has delayed ruling on whether Korean pop singer Jung Ji-hoon, also known as "Rain", can use his stage name during his planned concert tour in the United States.

Last December, a U.S. music company "Rain" Corporation filed a lawsuit against the singer for performing in Las Vegas under his stage name. The company also sought a court injunction to stop him from using the name.

The verdict was scheduled to come out Thursday in the U.S. state of Nevada.

The organizer of the concerts said it had been informed by its lawyers that the Nevada court had decided to postpone the verdict by one week.

Reported by KBS WORLD Radio + HanCinema e-news
link: http://hancinema.net/news_30.php

Rain Fans Sign Petition to Show Support

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Fans from all over the world are signing a petition in support of K-pop singer Rain, who is facing a legal battle over the use of his name in the United States.

On the Web site Open the link, a fan created an online petition titled "Rain/Bi deserves to keep his stage name". As of 6:30 p.m. on June 19, there have been over 3,400 people who have signed the petition.

The petition is aimed at showing fans' support for Rain, who is being sued by Nevada-based music company Music Corp. who claims to have the copyright for the use of the name "Rain" in the U.S. The company, who has a band named "Rain The Beatles Experience", wants the Korean singer to stop using the name there.

"If you feel that this lawsuit is for publicity and money, sign it. If you think this is wrong, sign it. If you are a fan of Rain and want him to continue with his success in America, sign this petition! Most importantly, this petition is to show that Rain/ Bi deserves to keep his stage name", the petition stated.

Due to the lawsuit, Rain's concerts in the U.S. originally scheduled for this month have been postponed. Fans have posted comments on the Web site, saying they love and support the Korean singer. Most fans were angry over the lawsuit, which caused the postponement of his U.S. concert tour "Rain's Coming".

One fan said Rain should be allowed to keep his name, which is the English translation of his Korean stage name "Bi".

Another fan with the username Duong noted Rain is already a well known singer around Asia, while Rain the Beatles Experience is hardly known by anyone.

Rain is already known in the U.S., after being named one of People Magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People, and topping the online poll of Time Magazine's Most Influential People of 2007. He is scheduled to start filming the Hollywood film "Speed Racer" next month in Germany.

While most of his U.S. concert dates have been postponed, Rain is expected to hold a concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles June 30.

source: HanCinema e-news
link: http://hancinema.net/news_10.php

Will it Rain here? Tour delays rumored

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer


Some concert ads for Rain now use the name Jung Ji-Hoon instead, because of legal issues.

8 p.m. Friday
Aloha Stadium
$55, $115, $225; Ticketmaster at (877) 750-4400, www.ticketmaster.com
VIP tickets $300; in person at Rain VIP ticket office, Samsung Plaza, 655 Ke'eaumoku St., 1st floor, or via Click Entertainment at 941-8870, 10 a.m.5 p.m. weekdays

Clouds are gathering over a scheduled Aloha Stadium concert Friday starring Korean pop star Jung Ji-Hoon, popularly known as Rain, amid pending litigation over the use of his stage name, media reports that the South Korean popster's World Tour dates are being postponed and Internet rumors about a possible cancellation.

Seung Su Lee, president of Click Entertainment, which is bringing the concert to Honolulu, has traveled to Seoul to check on the situation, and is expected back in Hawai'i with updates on Monday, his office reported. Tickets are still being sold, and Click Entertainment said it still expects to mount the concert.

A complication is trademark infringement litigation over the use of the stage name Rain. A lawsuit was filed in Reno last February by music company Rain Corporation, which promotes a Beatles tribute band named Rain.
A Korea Times article published today said that Rain, a K-drama actor and singer, was postponing his U.S. tour. The tour's scheduled dates include Honolulu on Friday, Atlanta on June 19, New York on June 23, San Francisco on June 27 and Los Angeles on June 30.

In Honolulu, tickets for the stadium performance were on sale yesterday through Ticketmaster, and the performer is described as "Rain (The Singer)." Fans who called Click, where $300 VIP packages are still being sold, have been told that the show is a go.

Ticketmaster sales for an Atlanta performance June 19 now call the event "Ji-Hoon's World Tour 2007," describing him, Prince-style, as the artist "Formerly Known as Rain." The status of New York and Los Angeles billings could not be confirmed.
Rai's Web site lists cancellations for Toronto (tonight) and San Francisco (June 27), but continues to promote the dates in Honolulu, Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles. "Everything is under the control of God," said Sung Up Park, CEO of Big Band of Korea, who was here yesterday to assist Click Entertainment.

sitelink: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Jun/09/ln/FP706090329.html