While everyone knows the “Big 4” companies—SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, HYBE, and YG Entertainment—this does not mean no other companies have been able to make a name for themselves. This usually happens because a group under the company finds huge success and helps establish it further.
One such agency is MLD Entertainment, formerly Duble Kick Company, established in 2015.
The company’s first group was MOMOLAND, created through the reality program Finding Momoland. The group’s popularity slowly rose until their first hit, “BBomb Bbomb” in 2018, when they saw a sharp increase in interest.
As a likely result of this success, MLD Entertainment debuted a boy group, TFN, in 2021 and a girl group, LAPILLUS, in 2022. The group HORI7ON was also formed in 2022 and debuted the following year.
However, 2023 also marked the end of MOMOLAND’s tenure with the company, with the remaining members all deciding not to renew their contracts. Former member Daisy‘s lawsuit against the company exposed many issues, including that the group’s lineup was rigged and that debt was reportedly unfairly distributed to the group.
Court Rulings Order MLD Entertainment To Pay Former MOMOLAND’s Daisy, MLD Entertainment Files An Appeal
Since then, TFN has disbanded, and LAPILLUS has not released music since their Japanese debut in August 2023.
On June 18, a netizen discovered that the copyrights to LAPILLUS’s name were listed as “abandoned” in KIPRIS (Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service).
lapillus’ trademark were abandoned cuz of unpaid reg fees… mld is broke now pic.twitter.com/jT1kQJHvli
— ও💎 (@itsbulkangnancy) June 18, 2024
While the reason is not clear, it is not being taken as a good sign for the group, or the company. Some have mentioned the teased group that has also not yet debuted as another bad sign.
Literally said this as soon as TFN disbanded that they were likely going to just abandon Lapillus and eventually H7. MLD just needs to stop at this point. All they’re doing is ruining these people’s dreams. https://t.co/sDZwIRAUoX
— Nyan.gi²⁸ (@gunwoobff) June 18, 2024
you went from competing with top groups to this… this miss management if lapillus will always be crazy https://t.co/QpVd629MQy
— cconnor (@cconnorae) June 18, 2024
I feel sorry for Lapillus, they deserved better treatment than this.
MLD really stopped care about other groups.
(Not surprised, but dissapointed.) https://t.co/vG25yDLbOv— Elizaveta Cudiuchina. (@Lizaperi) June 18, 2024
Hopefully, fans of all the groups under the company will have the answers they are looking for.
