Recently, WEBTOON, a globally leading webtoon platform, has been receiving significant criticism from its Originals creators. The criticism stems from accusations of the contracts being exploitative and predatory.
The issue gained traction when a Reddit post, shared via The Beat, began circulating. The post contained allegations from an individual purporting to be a WEBTOON Originals creator. This individual disclosed several clauses in the contract that they deemed "extremely predatory."
WEBTOON Originals are a particular category of series that come with a unique pay and work structure, different from the free-to-submit Canvas label on the platform. One of the main points of contention raised in the Reddit post was the IP rights clause. The author claimed that WEBTOON contracts allowed the platform to acquire complete ownership of their IP for a relatively small fee.
Despite its primary function as a digital platform, WEBTOON contracts also reportedly included a clause permitting the platform to purchase the physical publishing rights. This revelation came in the wake of the acquisition of Wattpad by WEBTOON's parent company, Naver, in 2021. Following the acquisition, several webtoons were published through the Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group.
The Originals creator also expressed concerns over WEBTOON acting as their agent, effectively being able to sell rights like print and multimedia to its partners for a low cost. In comparison, physical publishing rights can cost external publishers anywhere from five to six figures.
The contract also reportedly stipulated that WEBTOON could acquire physical publishing rights for as low as $2,000. This amount is drastically lower than what these rights would typically be valued at in the open market. In addition, the contracts allegedly allowed WEBTOON to retain merchandising rights.
This Reddit post has ignited a broader discussion about the need for transparency and fairness in contracts offered by digital platforms. As the discourse continues, it remains to be seen how WEBTOON and similar platforms will address the allegations and the concerns of their creators.
