[ad_1]
‘DYNAMITE’ This brochure photo taken in Seoul on September 2 shows members of the K-pop group BTS posing for a photo while celebrating a world online media day. —BIG HIT ENTERTAINMENT / AFP
MANILA, Philippines – Fans of the largest Korean pop (K-pop) group, BTS, have warned Taguig City representative Alan Peter Cayetano not to drag the band into its political ambitions.
BTS fans, who affectionately call themselves “ARMY,” took their warning messages to Cayetano into cyberspace Wednesday, including reviving an old statement from BTS management, Big Hit Entertainment, about the unauthorized use of the images and trademarks of international sensation.
Some ARMYs claimed that using the band’s name without permission is “prohibited.”
In their tweets, they tagged Big Hit and BTS’s official Twitter account to complain about what Cayetano did.
#CayetanoStopUsingBTS
Bighit Entertainment please stop
Cayetano to use BTS for influence!@BigHitEnt @bts_bighit @BTS_twt pic.twitter.com/4Sq2l9vxgx– Carol Villavicencio (@ CarolVillavice9) January 13, 2021
Using the BTS group name is such a silly move, Mr. Cayetano. You could have thought otherwise before using it. Stop using us to influence because it doesn’t work. Wrong group, wrong fandom, wrong move :))
Let’s quietly move ARMYs and send out mass emails on this issue :)) pic.twitter.com/5XLpJZEqFG
– lea⁷ ⭑ chelsea day !! 🥳 (@kookiejarfull) January 13, 2021
In February 2020 alone, Big Hit Entertainment won a trademark lawsuit against a cosmetics company in Korea, where the latter was found to have intentionally used the name “BTS” on its products to cause confusion.
READ: BTS agency wins trademark lawsuit against cosmetics company
However, several BTS fans also discouraged ARMY members from tweeting about Cayetano and BTS, stating that the politician is only using him to influence and gain attention.
A so-called Army Protection Squad on Twitter that has more than 31,000 followers at the time of writing this article has echoed the same sentiments, and has advised Filipino BTS fans to stop using hashtags containing Cayetano’s name. and BTS to prevent it from becoming a trend on social media.
PH ar * ys tag us for a certain problem related to politics.
Guys, they want noise. But because they can’t do it themselves, they are using an active fandom. They’re having the fans of a famous group MAKING THAT NOISE FOR THEM.
– ARMY⁷ Protection Squad SLOW (@ProtectionArmy) January 12, 2021
To date, the fanbase of the BTS ARMY group is estimated to be at least 130 million worldwide.
Cayetano was criticized for creating a new faction in the House of Representatives and calling it “BTS sa Kongreso” (BTS in Congress), a seven-man bloc, like the K-pop boy band.
The hashtag #CayetanoStopUsingBTS was a trend on social networks after the congressman publicized his new coalition that includes him, Camarines Sur 2nd District Representative Luis Villafuerte, Laguna 1st Representative Dan Fernandez, Anakalusugan Partylist Rep. Mike Defensor, Bulacan 1st District Representative José Antonio Sy-Alvarado and the deputy of the 2nd district of Capiz, Fredenil Castro.
Cayetano later clarified earlier that the BTS label is not intended to offend fans, but is merely an acronym for “Back To Service” in Congress.
KGA
RELATED STORY
New House Block Emerges, But K-Pop Fans React: Don’t Use ‘BTS’ Name
Read next
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For comments, complaints or inquiries, please contact us.
[ad_2]
