Seoul, S. Korea. South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a 30 million won ($21,600) damages claim by an American composer who accused a South Korean children’s content company of plagiarizing his version of “Baby Shark,” ending a six-year legal battle over the tune made famous for its “doo doo doo doo doo doo” refrain.

The court upheld lower rulings from 2021 and 2023 that found no basis to conclude the company, Pinkfong, infringed Jonathan Wright’s copyright. Wright, also known as Johnny Only, released his version in 2011, four years before Pinkfong’s. Both drew from a traditional melody sung at children’s summer camps in the United States.

Judges ruled Wright’s song did not differ enough from the folk tune to qualify as an original creative work eligible for copyright, and that Pinkfong’s version contained clear differences.

The Supreme Court said the decision reaffirms the established principle on derivative works from existing folk songs. “The Supreme Court accepts the lower court’s finding that the plaintiff’s song did not involve substantial modifications to the folk tune to the extent that it could be regarded, by common social standards, as a separate work,” it said in a statement.

Pinkfong told The Associated Press the ruling confirmed its “Baby Shark” was based on a “traditional singalong chant” in the public domain. The company said it gave the song an “upbeat rhythm and catchy melody” that helped turn it into a global pop culture icon.

Chong Kyong-sok, Wright’s South Korean attorney, said he had not yet received the full court decision but called the outcome “a little disappointing.”

“Anyway, the matter is now settled,” Chong said. “It’s our work that came out first, so we can handle the licensing on our side, and I guess we then each go our separate ways.”

Pinkfong’s “Baby Shark” became a global phenomenon after its 2015 YouTube release. The “Baby Shark Dance” video has now surpassed 16 billion views and once peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song remains central to Pinkfong’s business. In the first half of 2025, it generated 45.1 billion won ($32.6 million) in revenue, according to regulatory filings. The company has expanded the five-member shark family  --Baby, Mama, Papa, Grandma and Grandpa-- into TV and Netflix series, films, apps, and globally touring musicals.

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