JYP Sues OneSync Over 'back to life' Track
The Seoul-based label alleges a Santa Monica media firm copied and re-released a Stray Kids member's unreleased song under another artist's name.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Music — General
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JYP Entertainment has filed a copyright lawsuit in a California federal court against OneSync Media and its founder Miles Gaines. The suit alleges they copied Han's pre-release track 'back to life' and reuploaded it to digital streaming platforms under the title attributed to an artist named yungzzz.
Why it matters
The case centers on alleged unauthorized distribution of a track before its official release, raising questions about how music copies are traced across streaming distributors. It also invokes the Digital Millennium Copyright Act over alleged alteration of copyright management information.
JYP traced the allegedly infringing upload through YouTube metadata to distributors iGroove and Hitmaker Distro, with Hitmaker's counsel naming Gaines as account holder. Whether the reupload generated any streams or revenue has not been disclosed.
The players
JYP Entertainment
A South Korean entertainment company headquartered in Seoul, known for managing K-pop acts including Stray Kids.
OneSync Media
A Santa Monica-based music distribution and media company that was named as a defendant in the copyright suit.
The details
JYP alleges OneSync and Gaines copied the 'back to life' track wholesale and reuploaded it under the same title to streaming services, attributed to yungzzz. The label seeks relief for direct copyright infringement and a DMCA violation for alleged removal and alteration of copyright management information.
Timeline
Early May 2026: Han releases a pre-release 'back to life' music video on Stray Kids' YouTube channel.
November 5, 2026: JYP files the lawsuit in a California federal court.
Industry Dynamics
The suit reflects a broader pattern in which K-pop labels pursue digital distributors over unauthorized uploads of content in the Western streaming market. It tests how the DMCA's copyright management information protections apply when a track's attribution is altered before reaching streaming platforms.
Listeners searching for 'back to life' on streaming platforms may encounter the disputed upload attributed to yungzzz rather than Han's official Stray Kids-channel release. The outcome of the case could determine whether that reupload is taken down from platforms.
The takeaway
Pre-release music is increasingly distributed across many platforms before official launch, making attribution and takedown disputes more likely. Fans should verify uploader accounts when searching for unreleased tracks.
Further reading
Explore more reporting in the Music — General section for related industry coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Digital Music News.
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