Members of the "Kings of KPOP" Big Bang Kwon Ji Yong and Dong Youngbae or most popularly known as G-Dragon and Taeyang, might lose their rights to their stage name if they aren't renewing the contract under their current agency, which is the YG Entertainment.
It has been a long discussion as to whether the two famous personalities will renew again, as well as the stocks of the agency depends on them. According to Future Asset Daewoo, "Big Bang's renewal is the biggest factor in achieving our estimates."
Moreover, if they won't renew, it is possible for them to be restricted from using their current stage name as it was a property of YG. Before having their debut in 2006, YG already had trademark rights early in 2003. In this regard, GD and Taeyang, as a core member of the entertainment, all trademark rights belong to YG itself, for during the group's contract renewal last 2015, their stage name "G-Dragon" and "Taeyang" were registered trademarks in the US.
Also, according to the Korea Intellectual Property Office, an official said that it would be difficult to GD to use his stage name as it was made up of "A + B," and it could only be possible to buy it or to use if the trademark owner will agree with giving the permission or rights to the other party. For this matter, it would be hard for the members to not discuss contract renewal due to the weight of losing their stage name. However, if they will not become a YG artist anymore, they can still use Big Bang as their group name following some law, but it strictly requires them to use their real name.
Going back in late 2009, YG did try to hold the trademark rights for "Big Bang" though, failed and rejected due to the apparel with a similar name, which gotten the trademark first.
Else way, even without the renewal, GD and Taeyang as Kwon Ji Yong and Dong Youngbae already acquired a huge influence all over the world that even without their stage names, the two will become influential personalities if they pursue their solo careers outside the agency.
By this, a security firm pointed out that YG Entertainment will be the one to benefit the most with the renewal, as their label shares' depends on the portion of the two Big Bang members.
Meanwhile, fans and netizens reacted about this, and the majority will still support the two members and the rest without their artist names, making it a real loss to YG.
Even though some also were disappointed for the members have been using their stage name even during the debut, which is somehow the identity of them and YG claiming the rights don't make sense at all for they can't use it either way for their other artist.
On the other hand, a similar case happened to BEAST, which after losing their rights to their name, renamed their group into HIGHLIGHT and SHINHWA.
