Case Studies
Senior Counsel Jeon Hyung-hwan, selected for Rising Stars 2025 'IT Division'.
Law firm Veat's Senior Counsel, Yong-hwan Jeon (hereinafter "Counsel Jeon") has been selected for "Rising Stars 2025" announced by the legal magazine Legal Times. The legal media Legal Times annually announces the "Rising Stars" series, selecting young lawyers who excel in corporate law. Counsel Jeon, who was named as a promising lawyer in the IT field in "Rising Stars 2025," is a science and engineering graduate majoring in physics. He has provided legal advice in various fields such as M&A, regulatory sandbox, and copyright disputes, centered on IT and technology-based industries. Key advisory records include securing 80 billion KRW in Series A investment for an advanced technology startup and securing Series C investment for a proptech company, as well as M&A advisory for healthcare companies, and regulatory review related to Hyundai Motor’s demonstration project and regulatory-free zones. Counsel Jeon was evaluated in this article for demonstrating expertise at the intersection of the technology industry and law, and contributing to the growth and institutionalization of technology-based industries. For more details, please refer to the blog below. - Law firm Veat Senior Counsel, Yong-hwan Jeon, Selected for Legal Times "Rising Stars 2025"
Legal review on the possibility of reducing the expiration date and validity period of mobile gift certificates.
Law firm Veat recently received a legal review request from a company conducting welfare mall business (hereinafter referred to as “client”) regarding whether the client can arbitrarily shorten the expiration period and validity period of mobile gift certificates issued at a discount. Law firm Veat provided guidance on the legal nature of mobile gift certificates and the regulations on the expiration period stipulated in related laws. Specifically, Law firm Veat provided legal advice on whether the expiration period of mobile gift certificates can be shortened or reduced based on Article 2, Paragraph 184 of the Civil Law. Furthermore, Law firm Veat reviewed specific methods for shortening the expiration period and also presented countermeasures to ensure that the client does not violate the Act on Regulation of Terms of Contract. Law firm Veat provides legal advice on various legal issues that clients encounter in the course of their business. In particular, Law firm Veat has supported clients in receiving efficient legal services, and as a result, received the Chairman’s Award from the Korea Federation of SMEs in 2024, recognizing its contribution to the development of startups and small and medium-sized enterprises. Those who are interested in more details regarding this case study can check the following blog. - [Terms] Legal Review on the Possibility of Shortening the Expiration Period of Mobile Gift Certificates Thank you. Law firm Veat
Legal advisory case regarding whether there is a violation of the Fair Trade Act regarding discriminatory transaction conditions within the welfare mall platform.
Law firm Veat researched and legally reviewed whether the change in the welfare mall platform operator's service, which redirects users directly to a specific vendor's product page through partnerships instead of providing a product price comparison function when purchasing certain products, constitutes discriminatory treatment under the Fair Trade Act. We also specifically analyzed whether strengthening collaboration with certain tenant vendors in the operation of the welfare mall could amount to unfair trade practices by discriminating against the terms of trade with other tenant vendors.
Overseas AI enterprise Deepseek case looking at Korea personal information protection law
As the spread of AI-based global services increases, the number of cases where overseas companies directly process personal information of domestic users is rapidly increasing. The recent on-site inspection of the Chinese AI company 'DeepSeek' conducted by the Personal Information Protection Commission (hereinafter referred to as 'PIPC') is drawing attention as a clear example of how the Personal Information Protection Act can be practically applied to overseas operators. The PIPC determined that DeepSeek violated various provisions while providing app services in Korea, including ▲failure to provide Korean processing policies ▲collection of personal information for purposes other than the service’s purpose ▲unauthorized overseas transmission of AI prompt content ▲lack of notification for AI learning purposes ▲failure to designate a domestic agent. Accordingly, it recommended corrective measures including suspending the overseas transfer of user prompt data, providing clear notifications about collection purposes and usage methods, and introducing an AI learning refusal function. This case has served as an opportunity to re-establish the standard that all overseas companies collecting or transferring personal information of domestic users must comply with Korean laws. Accordingly, the PIPC has supplemented and distributed a guide in a checklist format that overseas operators can check themselves, and voluntary measures are recommended in cases where there is a risk of violating laws. Law firm Veat provides comprehensive advice to ensure that foreign operators or global AI service companies meet the necessary legal requirements when handling personal information in Korea. It offers practical, situation-specific consulting, including AI data processing flow analysis, drafting overseas transfer consent forms, designing a domestic agent designation structure, and responding to on-site inspections. If you are considering entering the domestic market as an overseas operator or are already providing services to Korean users, we recommend seeking expert advice to diagnose and prepare for potential violations of the Personal Information Protection Act. If you require advice related to personal information, please feel free to contact Law firm Veat at any time. For more specific details regarding this column, please refer to the official Law firm Veat blog. Personal Information Viewed Through the Case of Global AI Company DeepSeek: Naver Blog Thank you. Law firm Veat
Passport and exceptions to the principle of first sale copyright column contribution
Law firm Veat’s TIP (Technology Intellectual Property) team published a column on the topic of 'rental rights' and 'exception to the first sale doctrine' on Platum, a specialized startup media platform. With the active distribution of digital content, whether or not secondary distribution occurring in bookstores or secondhand trading platforms infringes upon the rights of copyright holders has emerged as a major point of contention. Accordingly, this column specifically addressed the scope of application centered on the concept and introduction background of the ‘first sale doctrine’ exceptionally recognized by the Copyright Act, and the standards for interpreting rental rights and distribution rights. Furthermore, it also addressed copyright contract structures that platform operators and content distribution companies should be aware of, and legal issues that may arise in the actual distribution process, adding a practical perspective. This publication introduces legal standards that various stakeholders, such as secondhand content platforms, digital content distributors, and companies utilizing AI-based creations, can refer to when planning content distribution and utilization, along with points to consider in the current situation. The TIP team, specializing in intellectual property rights (copyright), provides specialized legal services in the copyright field, such as copyright usage contract review, advice on rental and distribution, and dispute response that may occur during the content distribution process. The TIP team, centered on attorney Seungjong Oh (former Chairman of the Korean Copyright Committee) and attorney Ilwoon Ahn (open-source license expert), has accumulated extensive advisory experience with numerous companies and platforms. Please refer to the column below for more details, and for legal advice related to content distribution, distribution, and service structure design, please contact the Law firm Veat TIP team. - [Law firm Veat TIP] Content rental that "works for books" but "doesn't work for CDs," understanding copyright standards Thank you. Law firm Veat
[IT Column] AI Services and Personal Information Protection
The advancement of AI technology has led to the emergence of various AI-based services. These services generally process vast amounts of data, and there is a high probability that personal information is included in that process. Therefore, companies planning or operating AI services must strictly comply with relevant laws and regulations such as the Personal Information Protection Act. In particular, when collecting data for AI model training, it is necessary to carefully review whether personal information is included and to take care not to infringe on the self-determination right of personal information. The Personal Information Protection Act stipulates that when collecting personal information from entities other than the information subject, there is an obligation to inform the information subject of the source of collection, processing purpose, legal basis, etc., if requested (Article 19). In addition, information subjects have the right to request access (Article 15), the right to correct or delete (Article 16), the right to request suspension of processing (Article 17), and companies must have systems to guarantee these rights. If the data used for AI training includes personal information, the series of actions such as collection, storage, analysis, and re-processing of that data constitutes ‘processing’ under the Personal Information Protection Act. Therefore, it is necessary to review and comply with the legal responsibilities and compliance requirements for personal information processing throughout the entire AI training process. Companies developing and operating AI services should recognize personal information protection not as a mere legal obligation, but as an essential element for securing user trust and ensuring the sustainability of services. Law firm Veat provides specialized legal advice in the areas of AI technology, data protection, and personal information, centered on IT specialist lawyers certified by the Korea Bar Association and lawyers with backgrounds in engineering and science. We provide strategic advice to numerous artificial intelligence AI companies and data information-based companies on complex legal issues such as personal information collection, use, and overseas transfer, and we have expertise in preventing personal information infringement risks in the AI training data processing process and establishing personal information protection systems. If you need legal advice regarding artificial intelligence, AI, or personal information protection, please feel free to contact Law firm Veat. You can find more detailed information about this column on the Law firm Veat blog below. -[IT Litigation] In the Age of Artificial Intelligence, AI Services and Individual Information.. : Naver Blog
[Edaily] Interview with Partner Lawyer Ahn Il-woon_Reason Existed for Reviewing 'Cancellation Fee Waiver' in SKT Hacking Incident
Law firm Veat’s An Il-woon partner attorney conducted an interview with eKorea regarding the recently occurred ‘SKT USIM hacking incident.’ Attorney An Il-woon stated in the interview, “The situation is that even SK Telecom has not clearly ascertained to whom and how much information was leaked, and given the uncertain scope of the damage, unilaterally waiving termination fees for all subscribers has significant legal controversy.” He emphasized that, according to the terms and conditions, the clause regarding ‘termination fee waiver due to the company’s fault’ applies only when the leaked information has a serious impact on the contract maintenance of individual subscribers, and suggested, “It is more reasonable to take individual measures or provide differentiated compensation to subscribers whose damage has been proven rather than unilaterally waiving termination fees for all subscribers.” You can find more detailed information about the interview at Law firm Veat’s official blog, and please refer to the link below for the full article. [Full Article] eKorea_SKT hacking incident 'Considering waiving termination fees' Reason exists Thank you. Law firm Veat
[Law firm Veat TIP] Content platform business operators, please note! Understand distribution rights and the first sale doctrine when entering into contracts.
Law firm Veat TIP(Technology Intellectual Property) team has contributed a column on the concepts of 'distribution right' and 'first sale doctrine' to Platum, a startup media platform. The way content is distributed is rapidly changing. With physical media such as paper books, CDs, and DVDs, as well as digital copies, content is distributed in various ways, and whether such distribution acts infringe on the copyright holder's 'distribution right' has emerged as an important legal issue. In particular, whether 'secondary distribution' occurring in used bookstores, online used trading platforms, and book rental services constitutes copyright infringement has a practical impact on both creators providing content and businesses distributing it. This column details the concept of distribution right and provides an in-depth explanation of the 'first sale doctrine (exhaustion of rights)' recognized as an exception under copyright law, analyzing how repeated distribution of content is legally permitted and its limits. In addition, it also summarizes the copyright contract structure that platform operators and content distribution companies need to review in practice and issues to consider. For details, you can view the full column by clicking [this link]. This column provides copyright information that companies and practitioners considering the distribution and use of works, such as used content platforms, digital content distribution companies, AI-based creative works utilization companies, and creators, should refer to. Law firm Veat TIP(Technology Intellectual Property) team, specializing in intellectual property (IP), provides specialized legal services in copyright areas, including advice on the interpretation and application of distribution rights and the first sale doctrine, review of copyright utilization (license) contracts, and response to copyright infringement disputes that may arise during content distribution. If you need legal advice regarding copyright utilization, distribution, service structure design, etc., please feel free to contact Law firm Veat. Thank you.
Potential for overseas transfer of pseudonymized information from domestic medical institutions and review of pseudonymized information provision contract.
Law firm Veat received a request from domestic medical institution A (hereinafter referred to as "the client") to review the legal requirements and procedures, and effects, that must be met in order to transfer pseudonymized personal information overseas. The client's pseudonymized information, while having had patient identification information removed or pseudonymized, still contained detailed treatment and examination records based on medical procedures, and was assessed as having high added value. Accordingly, Law firm Veat conducted a review of the legality of overseas transfer of the information under the Personal Information Protection Act, and also reviewed the English contract (pseudonymized information provision contract) based on this. Concept of pseudonymized information and differential legal regulations
[Intellectual Property] Drafting a Software Development Service Contract Considering Provisions on Development Output Ownership
Law firm Veat recently received a request from a company operating an F&B franchise business (hereinafter referred to as the "client") to draft a software development service contract to be executed between the company commissioning the development and the company receiving the commission. Important Considerations for Software Development Service Contract #1: Specify Development Period, Scope, Amount, and Payment Method A software development service contract involves the company receiving the commission performing work for the commissioning company, so it is necessary to clearly define the development period, scope, amount, and payment method in the contract. In particular, it is common to specify the contract’s termination and cancellation as a cause when the development period is exceeded, or when the obligations corresponding to the development scope are not fulfilled, or when the payment is not fulfilled according to the contract. Therefore, it is important to draft with greater care. Law firm Veat has drafted the contract based on the know-how accumulated through reviewing numerous similar cases and, considering the client's specific business circumstances, has conducted a legal review of the matters that should generally be considered when concluding such a service contract. Important Considerations for Software Development Service Contract #2: Secure the Development Output Ownership Clause When drafting a software development service contract, it is also very important to include a clause that clearly defines to whom the development outputs resulting from the contract belong. 'Development outputs' generally include program, documents, specifications, code, and other development results. Many companies commissioning software development naturally assume that they own the development outputs according to the service contract. However, the reality is not so simple. Especially in the position of the company performing the software development, it may be necessary to partially reuse the source code or materials used in the development project for other development processes. In order to utilize this, the company that performed the development needs to retain some rights related to intellectual property rights regarding the development outputs. Because the interests of both parties are inherently conflicting, delicate coordination is needed for the assignment and usability of the development outputs. Law firm Veat comprehensively considers whether intellectual property rights belong to whom, whether the company that performed the development needs to reuse the development outputs and the scope of necessity, and the consistency with other clauses of the contract, and drafted a development output ownership clause that is acceptable to the counterparty and helpful to the client’s business. Law firm Veat’s Customized Legal Consultation Startup companies frequently operate IT-related businesses. Law firm Veat, based on its specialized legal expertise in the IT and startup fields, has provided various IT contract-related legal consultations, including numerous software development contracts, platform construction contracts, and SaaS service contracts. Based on the know-how accumulated through this, Law firm Veat organically considers the client's current business situation, the counterparty of the contract, complex legal issues such as intellectual property (IP) transfer agreements, and provides a contract system that is not only a simple legal document but also helps the client's actual business operations. Therefore, if you have concerns about legal risks when entering into a contract related to startups or IT businesses, please feel free to contact Law firm Veat at any time. Law firm Veat will provide customized legal advice according to your specific situation, support an environment where you can minimize legal risks and focus on your core business. Thank you. Sincerely, Law firm Veat