BLACKPINK members Lisa and Jennie are facing allegations of using machine-generated signatures for their signed CDs, which were marketed as hand-signed by the artists.
Fans who purchased the albums expressed frustration upon noticing that the signatures appeared identical, leading to suspicions of autopen use, a device that replicates handwriting mechanically.
The controversy began when fans who bought signed versions of Lisa's debut solo album, Alter Ego, observed that the autographs lacked the natural variations seen in human handwriting. Similar concerns were raised about Jennie's signatures on photocards included in her albums. Fans took to Reddit and other social media platforms to voice their disappointment, accusing the idols of misleading them.
"I get signing hundreds or thousands of copies can be tedious and unrealistic time wise, but I'd be pretty disappointed if I was expecting a truly genuine signed copy of an album and got this instead," one fan wrote on Reddit.
"If you're paying a premium for a signed copy, the expectation is that it's actually signed. That's what makes them valuable. You don't want to sign up for that because it's tiring, then don't do it, don't lie to your customers that something is autographed when it's actually automated," another person wrote.
Neither Lisa nor Jennie has publicly addressed the allegations, and their respective labels have yet to release official statements.
It is notable that the use of autopen machines to replicate signatures has been a recurring issue in the global entertainment industry, with several high-profile artists facing criticism for employing the technology. Bob Dylan made headlines in 2022 when fans discovered that his "hand-signed" copies of "The Philosophy of Modern Song" were actually produced using an autopen. Dylan later apologized, citing health issues and pandemic-related challenges as reasons for resorting to the machine, though many fans felt misled.
Similarly, Jon Bon Jovi recently faced backlash after autograph experts confirmed that the signatures on his latest album, Forever, were autopen-generated. Bon Jovi's team has yet to address the allegations.
