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JYP sues U.S. distributor OneSync over alleged piracy of HAN's 'back to life'

JYP Entertainment filed a U.S. federal lawsuit on November 4 accusing Santa Monica distributor OneSync Media and founder Miles Gaines of copying Stray Kids member HAN's 'back to life' and uploading it to streaming services under the artist name yungzzz.

By 2FC NEWSROOM · Published

Stray Kids member HAN
Image: JYP Entertainment (via THE Biz)

JYP Entertainment has taken the fight over unauthorized streams of Stray Kids member HAN's 'back to life' into U.S. federal court. Billboard reports that it obtained a lawsuit JYP filed on Wednesday, November 4, accusing Santa Monica DIY distributor OneSync and founder Miles Gaines of copying the recording from JYP's May YouTube prerelease and putting it on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube under the artist name 'yungzzz' after stripping copyright management information.

According to Billboard's account of the complaint, JYP traced YouTube metadata to Hitmaker Music Group, then learned from Hitmaker's lawyers that Gaines owned the 'yungzzz' distribution account. JYP seeks damages for copyright infringement and DMCA violations for removing authorship watermarks; Hitmaker is not named as a defendant. Gaines told Billboard the track was submitted by a third party, that he was unaware of the upload, that it has been removed, and that OneSync will cooperate.

Digital Music News and Korea's THE Biz independently report the same California Central District filing. THE Biz adds that JYP is asking for a jury trial, statutory damages of up to $150,000 for willful infringement and up to $25,000 per DMCA count, plus an injunction. HAN officially released 'back to life' on June 11 after the May 9 SKZ-PLAYER video premiere, per prior Yonhap coverage cited by secondary outlets.

Confirmed

  • Billboard reports that it obtained a Wednesday (November 4, 2026) lawsuit filed by JYP Entertainment in U.S. federal court accusing OneSync Music/OneSync Media and Miles Gaines of re-uploading a pirated version of Stray Kids member HAN's June solo track 'back to life' to streaming services.
  • Per Billboard, the suit says JYP first posted 'back to life' on YouTube as a prerelease music video in May, and that days later the recording appeared on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube under the artist profile 'yungzzz' with JYP's copyright management data removed.
  • Billboard quotes the complaint: defendants 'knew that they (or "yungzzz") did not author, create, perform on, or own the sound recording, and knew that they had unlawfully reproduced it from JYPE's prerelease.'
  • Per Billboard, JYP is seeking financial damages from Gaines and OneSync for copyright infringement and Digital Millennium Copyright Act violations for removing authorship watermarks; Hitmaker Music Group is not accused of wrongdoing.
  • In a statement to Billboard, Gaines said the recording 'was submitted to OneSync by a third party,' that he 'was unaware of the upload,' that 'the recording has since been removed,' and that OneSync is reviewing account and submission records and will 'cooperate through the appropriate legal process.'

Reported by other outlets

  • Digital Music News (November 5) reports the complaint was filed in a California federal court naming Santa Monica-based OneSync and founder Miles Gaines, that JYP traced the upload through distributors iGroove and Hitmaker Distro, and cites case caption materials under 2:26-cv-12960.
  • THE Biz (November 6), citing the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, reports JYP sued Gaines and OneSync Media for copyright infringement and DMCA violations, seeks a jury trial, claims statutory damages up to $150,000 for willful copyright infringement and up to $25,000 per DMCA violation, plus an injunction against copying and distributing the track and attorneys' fees.
  • THE Biz reports the YouTube prerelease was on May 9 and that a same-titled track appeared on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Instagram and TikTok around May 13 under the yungzzz credit; Apple Music reportedly listed a yungzzz sale on May 15.
  • allkpop (November 6), citing Digital Music News and earlier reporting, notes a separate September JYP request aimed at identifying a different unauthorized 'New Vibs' upload of the same song via Symphonic Distribution, and that Sports Kyunghyang reported a U.S. court issued a subpoena to Symphonic on September 17.

Unconfirmed

  • Whether OneSync or Gaines is liable has not been decided by a court; the complaint states allegations that the defendants dispute or have not admitted.

Analysis

Interpretation by 2FC NEWSROOM, not reported fact.

2FC NEWSROOM: Filing in California after tracing the upload chain signals JYP is treating DSP piracy of member solos as a damages case, not only a takedown problem—while Gaines' third-party-submission defense remains to be tested in court.

Sources

Conflicts of interest: None on the core filing facts across Billboard, Digital Music News and THE Biz. Gaines disputes knowledge of the upload and attributes it to a third-party submission.

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