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Seoul court bars production of 'Burn to Win' for copyright violation

Published: 21 Dec. 2025, 18:57

Players from JTBC’s show "A Clean Sweep" [JTBC]

A Seoul court has barred the production and distribution of "Burn to Win," ruling that the Studio C1 show illegally copied elements of JTBC’s hit baseball series "A Clean Sweep" (2022-) and violated copyright and fair competition laws, legal sources said Sunday.

The Seoul Central District Court on Friday issued the injunction, accepting JTBC’s request to block the production, transmission and release of "Burn to Win."

Produced by Studio C1 and aired on JTBC, "A Clean Sweep" follows a team of retired professional baseball players returning to the field. The show helped revive interest in baseball and ran from April 2022 through its third season in 2025. Tensions began earlier this year when JTBC and C1 started negotiating the terms for a fourth season.

The court found that "Burn to Win" contained content that effectively suggested it was a follow-up season of "A Clean Sweep," even when it did not properly own the copyright related to "A Clean Sweep."

The ruling prohibits Studio C1 from producing, streaming, selling or distributing "Burn to Win," including episodes already released and any further content in the same season. The decision also bans the use of the show’s title or the appearance of a team called the Burn Fighters. The order will take effect once Studio C1 receives the decision, which is expected before the end of the year.

The court found that "Burn to Win" reused cast members, narrative structures and core elements from "A Clean Sweep," amounting to unauthorized use of JTBC’s creative work.

“JTBC and JTBC Studios invested more than 30 billion won ($20 million) over three years in producing 'A Clean Sweep' and aired and promoted it through their own channels,” the court said. “Studio C1 was able to cast well-known figures like Kim Sung-keun and Lee Dae-ho because it had access to this financial backing and platform.”

A scene from JTBC’s show "A Clean Sweep" [JTBC]

The court also said Studio C1’s decision to produce "Burn to Win" without JTBC caused financial harm to the broadcaster.

“It appears Studio C1 intended to attract fans of 'A Clean Sweep' by exploiting the program’s reputation and viewer base while excluding JTBC from the process,” the court said. “Because of this, JTBC was unable to produce and broadcast Season 4 of 'A Clean Sweep' in a timely manner or maintain continuity with earlier seasons.”

The court noted that JTBC had adequately compensated Studio C1 under its original contract for "A Clean Sweep."

“The two parties agreed that JTBC would pay 110 percent of standard production costs as a licensing fee and would retain the copyright,” the court said. “Studio C1 would also receive incentives based on ratings, along with half of the revenue from sponsorships, product placements and virtual ads.”

JTBC welcomed the ruling.

“We are pleased that the court has provided a legal basis to block unlawful practices and protect the content industry’s ecosystem,” the broadcaster said. “We will pursue damages through the main lawsuit and hold Studio C1 accountable.”

The image shows Chang Si-won, head producer of Studio C1, from JTBC’s show "A Clean Sweep." [JTBC]

Studio C1 expressed disagreement with the ruling, saying it cannot accept the court’s finding that "Burn to Win" infringed on JTBC’s work.

“The decision is based on the assumption that the success and creative value of 'A Clean Sweep' were transferred to JTBC along with the video content, which we do not accept,” the company said. “We plan to appeal to correct this.”

Chang Si-won, head producer at Studio C1, wrote on his social media account that he had decided to appeal the ruling and would “fight it to the end.”

Earlier this year, JTBC accused Studio C1 of overbilling billions of won by duplicating production costs per episode and failing to provide proper documentation. Studio C1 denied the allegations, saying overbilling was “structurally impossible” and that it had provided full financial records.

JTBC announced in March that it would no longer work with Studio C1. Studio C1 then went ahead with the production of "Burn to Win" regardless of JTBC, with much of the same cast, and released the show through YouTube in May.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HA NAM-HYUN [[email protected]]