Rain expected to testify

HONOLULU - SOUTH Korean pop star and actor Rain is expected to testify in his civil trial stemming from his cancelled concert in Hawaii.

A five-man, three-woman jury was selected among a pool of 52 on Tuesday. Opening arguments were scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

Among the potential jurors who were eliminated was a University of Hawaii student who indicated to the court he was a fan of Rain, but could remain objective.

Rain - whose real name is Jung Ji-hoon - and his producers are being sued over the performer’s abrupt cancellation of a June 2007 concert in Honolulu. Attorneys for both sides listed the 26-year-old performer, who was not in court Tuesday, as one of the witnesses they intended to call. He isn’t expected to be in court until next week.

Senior US District Judge Alan C. Kay told jurors the trial is expected to last about two weeks.

Hawaii-based Click Entertainment Inc. alleges in its lawsuit that Rain and his producers breached a contract and defrauded the company of more than US$500,000 paid in licensing fees. Also, it is seeking additional damages for the cost of staging the event.

The company also claims in the suit that it has lost business opportunities, earnings and sustained damage to its reputation.

The concert was canceled just days before the scheduled June 15, 2007, performance at Aloha Stadium, disappointing many fans who paid as much as US$300 for a ticket and flew to Honolulu from as far as away as Japan and South Korea. It was supposed to be the first stop on the ‘Rain’s Coming’ US tour.

Performances in San Francisco, Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles were also canceled. All ticket holders were offered refunds.

Concert organisers at the time said they called off the performances because of a copyright challenge from Nevada-based record company Rain Corp. A Nevada District Court later dismissed the case.

Also named in the lawsuit are South Korea-based companies JYP Entertainment Co and Star M Entertainment, in addition to other parties. — AP

Source: www.straitstimes.com
Credit: sixtofive1982.com