Cosmetics brand LALALEES came under fire recently for filing a trademark/copyright for the term "borahae." According to a site that displays registered and requested copyrights, LALALEES had sought copyrighted clearance for the term in September 2020.
ARMYs trended #ProtectBorahae and explained that the term had been coined by BTS’ V.
LALALEES response regarding "borahae" and BTS’ V
After much public pressure, LALALEES, a nail specialist brand, posted a statement apologizing to BTS fans and revealed that they will drop their claims to the term.
"Last September 2020, our company requested the copyrights for the term ‘BORAHAE’, and we truly apologize to the fans that love BTS for causing concern. Our company has decided to give up copyrights to the term for the further development of K-Pop and we will take action as soon as possible. Going forward, as Koreans, we wish BTS good luck in their future endeavors in spreading K-Pop to the world.” — LALALEE’S
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Why were ARMYs asking LALALEES to withdraw the copyright?
LALALEES had filed for a trademark on the word "borahae.” However, ARMY explained that "borahae" had been coined by BTS' V. They also pointed out that "borahae" is an integral part of BTS fandom.
During a BTS concert in 2016, V coined the term “borahae” or “I Purple You,” which means "I’ll love you till the end of days." Purple (violet) is the last color of the rainbow. The phrase combines two Korean words: Violet (bora) and I love you (saranghae).
Ever since then, "borahae" has become synonymous with BTS and ARMY. It is used in many BTS collaborations, such as Starbucks Korea, Samsung, Baskin Robbins, and McDonald's. Iconic landmarks such as London Bridge and Wembley Stadium have been lit up in shades of purple to honor BTS.
Fans email HYBE to copyright V’s “borahae”
As soon as the news of the copyright broke out, ARMYs started mass mailing HYBE Labels to trademark "borahae" to avoid such issues in the future.