Dear @UMG, @jypnation, @stay_support, @RepublicRecords, @X, and @Support:
We are writing on behalf of concerned STAYs regarding a growing wave of DMCA copyright reports here on X, content removals, account restrictions, and suspensions affecting fan accounts dedicated to Stray Kids.
Many of the affected posts involve short clips—often approximately 30–90 seconds—used within fan-made edits, translations, achievement posts, informational content, promotional posts, and other transformative fan content. These accounts are not attempting to replace official content or provide unauthorized access to full copyrighted works. In many cases, their purpose is the exact opposite: to promote Stray Kids, direct audiences toward official content, celebrate the group's achievements, and introduce their music to potential new fans.
For years, STAY fan accounts have played an enormous role in Stray Kids' organic reach online.
Fan edits introduce songs to people who may have never encountered Stray Kids otherwise. Translation accounts make interviews, promotional appearances, and other content accessible to an international audience. Update accounts inform fans about releases, performances, schedules, and official content. Fanbases organize promotional efforts and celebrate achievements that encourage thousands of people to stream, purchase, watch, and engage with official releases.
These communities function as an enormous, unpaid global promotional network for Stray Kids.
When those accounts begin receiving repeated copyright strikes—or are suspended entirely—the impact extends far beyond the individual account.
Years of accumulated followers, translations, resources, promotional material, and community infrastructure can disappear overnight. Fans understandably become afraid to post clips, create edits, translate content, or share moments from official releases because they do not know what may result in another copyright complaint.
That chilling effect is ultimately detrimental to both STAY and Stray Kids. Another major concern is that many of these DMCA reports appear to target content posted months or even years ago. Many established Stray Kids fanbases, translation teams, update accounts, and fan accounts have been operating for years and have accumulated anywhere from 40,000 to over 100,000 posts. Expecting these accounts to manually review years of posting history and identify every short clip that could potentially trigger a copyright claim is simply not realistic. While accounts can take precautions and adjust how they share content moving forward, retroactive enforcement places hundreds of long-established accounts at risk for content posted under practices that had gone unenforced for years. These accounts have become staples of the STAY community, collectively preserving years of translations, resources, updates, achievements, and promotional history. Losing them because of sudden enforcement against years-old posts would erase an enormous amount of community infrastructure and institutional knowledge that cannot simply be recreated overnight.
Music discovery in 2026 is heavily driven by social media. A 30-second fan edit can introduce someone to a song they later stream hundreds of times. A translated interview clip can introduce an international fan to a member. A performance clip can send viewers to the official upload. An achievement post can encourage thousands of fans to celebrate by streaming the song themselves.
Removing that ecosystem does not simply remove copyrighted clips—it can remove one of the mechanisms through which audiences discover and engage with the artist in the first place.
We are particularly concerned by the apparent concentration of these reports among Stray Kids-focused accounts. STAYs have observed numerous Stray Kids fan accounts being affected within a relatively short period, while we have not observed a comparable enforcement wave affecting fan accounts dedicated to other JYPE artists or other K-pop artists.
We recognize that fans do not have access to internal copyright-enforcement data, so we cannot independently determine why this is occurring or whether every report originates from the same rights holder. That is precisely why we are asking Universal Music Group, JYPE, and X/Twitter to investigate and provide clarification.
We fully recognize and respect the rights of artists, labels, broadcasters, photographers, and other copyright holders to protect their intellectual property. We are not asking for unrestricted redistribution of copyrighted works, full performances, paid content, or material intended to substitute for official sources.
We are asking for a reasonable distinction between piracy or unauthorized redistribution and the short-form, transformative fan activity that has helped promote Stray Kids across social media for years.
We respectfully ask the relevant parties to:
• Review the recent pattern of copyright reports and account enforcement affecting Stray Kids fan accounts.
• Determine whether automated or overly broad copyright enforcement is capturing legitimate fan edits, translations, commentary, achievement posts, and promotional content.
• Provide clearer guidance regarding what types of short-form Stray Kids content fan accounts may reasonably share.
• Consider the significant promotional value that fan-created and fan-translated content provides to Stray Kids internationally.
• Ensure that enforcement measures are proportionate and that established fan accounts are not unnecessarily lost because of unclear or overly aggressive copyright claims.
• Provide accessible avenues for fan accounts to dispute questionable claims before years of community-building and promotional work are permanently erased.
STAYs want to promote Stray Kids.
We want people to discover their music. We want official videos to receive more views, official songs to receive more streams, albums to receive more sales, concerts to reach new audiences, and Stray Kids to continue reaching people around the world.
Fan-created content has been part of making that possible.
Protecting intellectual property and allowing a healthy fan promotional ecosystem to exist do not have to be mutually exclusive. We hope Universal Music Group, JYPE, and X/Twitter will review what is happening and work toward an enforcement approach that protects copyrighted material without unintentionally suppressing the very fan communities working every day to promote the artist.
Sincerely,
The Stray Kids Comeback Guide Team
An independent, fan-run global Stray Kids fanbase
STAYS PLEASE HELP
Dear @UMG, @jypnation, @Support & @X:
Please review the wave of DMCA reports impacting Stray Kids fan accounts. Short fan edits, translations & clips that help promote SKZ to global audiences. Overly broad enforcement hurts the fan community AND the artist we work to promote.
#ProtectSKZFanAccounts
Почему так всегда
Находишь новую соцсеть для блога-нытья с условно узким кругом близких лиц, а в итоге проходит неопределенное время и теперь туда хочешь написать то, что не хочешь/можешь им рассказать, и в итоге возвращаешься сюда, где тебя никто не знает
I.N-finity #협찬
아이엔 #i.2.n.8 #realstraykids
IN #damianiofficial
WITH #dazedkorea
2024 Digital Cover of <DAZED> KOREA
나른한 낮, 아이엔에 대한 기록, 다미아니와 함께.
A lazy afternoon, a record of I.N, together with Damiani.
rest in peace, andre braugher. an absolute force of an actor and a treasure on and off screen. thank you for all the warmth and joy and laughs. rest easy, captain ❤️
Stray Kids Daesang Awards
🏆 AAA '21 — Performance of the Year
🏆 AAA '22 — Album of the Year
🏆 K-Champ Awards '22 — K-CHAMP of the Year
🏆 Hanteo Music Awards '22 — Best Performance
🏆 AAA '23 — Stage of the Year 🆕
@Stray_Kids#StrayKids#스트레이키즈