Overseasidol.com — A recent court ruling disclosed has revealed new developments in a contractual dispute between General Mills the company behind food brand Wanchai Ferry and Siba Media, the agency of SNH48.
The dispute stems from a “Artist Promotion Cooperation Agreement” signed by both parties, in which SNH48 members were appointed as brand ambassadors for Wanchai Ferry.
As stated in the contract, Siba was responsible for providing promotional services, including securing proper authorization for music used in the campaign.
Problems surfaced in May 2019, when an individual surnamed Qi filed a copyright infringement lawsuit involving the song “Hao Yunlai”, which had been used in promotional materials for the brand.
On May 9, 2023, the court ruled that General Mills had violated copyright law and was required to pay 335,500 yuan in damages.
According to the court file seen in the image, General Mills argued that music licensing fell under Siba’s responsibility as stipulated in the contract.
Furthermore, handling the lawsuit forced General Mills to pay approximately 300,000 yuan in legal fees, bringing the total financial burden to over 340,000 yuan.
While Siba later covered the 335,500-yuan penalty as required, General Mills claimed the agency did not reimburse the substantial legal expenses already paid during the litigation process.
On March 15, 2024, General Mills issued a formal lawyer’s notice demanding payment, which Siba received on March 16, but no action followed. The company therefore filed a lawsuit to recover the costs.
Siba countered by arguing that the legal fees claimed were “excessive” and requested the court to adjust the amount.
They insisted that they had fulfilled their contractual obligations and that some expenses should not fall entirely on them.
After reviewing the case, the court ruled that Guangzhou Siba must compensate General Mills, ordering them to pay over 320,000 yuan in damages and legal fees.
The ruling brings closure to the long-standing dispute over contractual responsibilities tied to SNH48’s promotional collaboration with Wanchai Ferry.
