North Korean Studio Caught Producing Images for Amazon and HBO

A North Korean studio in Pyongyang has been found producing images for major companies like Amazon and HBO, with BBC images also discovered on its servers. The unnamed studio has been accused of using these images without permission and passing them off as their own work, raising concerns about intellectual property rights and the potential exploitation of North Korean workers by foreign companies.

According to a report from the North Korea tracking website 38 North, evidence indicates that North Korean animators might have contributed to upcoming Amazon and Max cartoons, including Amazon's Invincible and Max's Iyanu Child of Wonder, without the knowledge of the US-based Hollywood studios. The animators were likely outsourced by third parties to provide images for these shows.

North Korea's government-run animation studio, SEK Studio, was placed under US sanctions in 2021. The report emphasizes the difficulty in enforcing sanctions in the global animation industry and the need for US companies to better verify the identities of freelancers. North Korea has a long history of using its animation industry to earn revenue, and its animators have worked on projects for Disney and other foreign studios in the past.

Researchers found no indication that the Western companies were aware of the arrangements, which appeared to involve subcontracting work to China. The US government has warned that North Korean IT workers often hide or misrepresent their identities to obtain freelance contracts and payments in violation of sanctions.

Why this matters: The discovery of a North Korean studio producing content for major Western media companies raises significant concerns about the enforcement of sanctions, intellectual property rights, and the potential exploitation of workers in the global entertainment industry. It underscores the need for increased transparency and scrutiny in the sourcing of content by US companies to ensure compliance with regulations and ethical standards.

The controlled nature of internet access in North Korea, where only a few thousand of the 26 million people can get online, adds to the ongoing concern over North Korean hackers infiltrating businesses to earn money for the regime. The discovery of the studio's activities highlights the need for greater vigilance and due diligence by companies when outsourcing work to prevent inadvertent violations of sanctions and to protect intellectual property rights.

Key Takeaways

• North Korean studio producing content for Amazon, HBO, and BBC without permission.
• Animators may have contributed to Amazon's "Invincible" and Max's "Iyanu Child of Wonder".
• North Korea's government-run animation studio under US sanctions since 2021.
• Difficulty enforcing sanctions in global animation industry, need for better verification.
• Concerns about intellectual property rights and potential exploitation of North Korean workers.