You Promised Me, Mr. Lee San-ha - Chapter 73



Only Noblemtl

Episode 73: Even a rice thief can be a thief (3)

The photo sent by Team Leader Yoon Yeo-gam clearly shows a ‘covered rice cake’.

But the container containing it was not from our store.

Even the table and tableware in the photo gave off a very cheap feeling.

‘Plagiarism… … is that it?’

Mom revealed the recipe on TV.

Because I wanted it to be easy for all viewers to make and eat.

But that was the problem.

Under Korean copyright law, only creative works expressing human thoughts and emotions are recognized as copyrighted works.

Legally, recipes are categorized as “human ideas” and not creative works, so they cannot be protected under copyright law.

After all, a recipe is not a ‘work’, so a dish made with that recipe is not a ‘work’ either.

There is absolutely no legal basis to punish them for plagiarism.

‘But that doesn’t mean we can just sit back and do nothing.’

We have to think of a way to deal with this somehow.

* * *

The next day.

My mother and I headed toward the store where plagiarism was suspected.

Behind us, Baek Jong-woon was following with a very angry expression on his face.

As a representative figure in the restaurant industry, he seemed to be more sincere than anyone about this dispute.

There is one word he always says on air.

‘Symbiosis.’

Baek Jong-un is a person who seeks communication between food service providers and consumers through food.

He passed his recipes on to the bosses without any compensation.

That was why I was consulting on service mind, hygiene, and operations.

‘I’m sure Mom felt the same way.’

Because of this, Baek Jong-woon seemed to feel a great sense of responsibility for this situation.

He apologized to us several times as he moved.

“Even if I had ten mouths, I have nothing to say. I’m jealous that they even aired the recipe on TV… … .”

Mom answered, waving her hand.

“No. I was the one who brought it up first. I wanted you all to enjoy it… .”

“But it’s another matter to cheat and do business with it. Oh my, what kind of robbery-like actions are these?”

I stood in front of the store with a heavy heart.

The business name is [Sanghwa Snacks].

Is it a coincidence that the name of our store is strangely similar?

Even the interior color scheme and sign font look almost identical.

At this point, it seemed like anyone who didn’t know would just be fooled.

Mr. Baek Jong-un said as he pushed open the door and went in.

“Is the boss here?”

Then a woman with a poisonous look came running out of the kitchen.

“what?”

Even at first glance, it is a serious situation.

They say that as people age, they become responsible for their faces, but this person must have lived a very irresponsible life.

Baek Jong-woon said.

“I came after looking at the menu. You can’t just follow someone else’s recipe like this.”

“No, this guy is a celebrity, isn’t that all?! Where did he get his bullying? Where did he get his bullying?!”

Judging from the way he loses his temper when we first meet, I guess he has some weaknesses.

Baek Jong-woon said, holding back his anger.

“Riot? Huh, really. Isn’t it rude to steal someone else’s recipe and take their customers away?!”

“What?! Who are you calling a thief?!”

Although I didn’t go so far as to call her a thief, it seems like she’s already done some inner self-reflection.

The owner of Sanghwa Snacks spoke with an even louder voice.

“What the hell are they doing, rushing in from the crack of dawn? This is all interference with business! Don’t business people know that?!”

“Do it in moderation! No matter how greedy you are, how can you copy another store’s menu and promote it like this?!”

There was a signboard erected in the direction Baek Jong-un pointed.

[Ddeoktteok, a mega hit menu item at local restaurants!]

[A special recipe for rice cakes made with Sanghwa Bunshik’s unique recipe awaits you!]

If you look closely, there is no mention of them appearing in Alley Restaurant.

However, it had a nuance that made it feel like they were actually appearing.

However, the outrageous behavior did not end there.

“We created and developed all of this ourselves! Do you know how much thought went into this menu?!”

The owner of Sanghwa Snacks slammed the menu down and pointed at my mother.

“Rather, didn’t that lady copy our menu?!”

A remark of such a mind-boggling level.

Everyone was so dumbfounded that they were speechless.

‘I can’t listen to you anymore because you keep telling me to listen.’

I took a step forward.

“I looked up the name of this place and it was previously registered as ‘Sanwang Snacks.’ The name change was right after the recent remodeling. Also, the previous menu didn’t include ‘tteokbokki.’”

The owner of Sanghwa Snacks flinches slightly.

“That, that’s because I didn’t like the original name, so I was going to change it! And the rice cake is a secret menu item, a signature, something like that, so it’s only served to those who know about it!”

There are various excuses.

How can a menu item that is advertised and sold so extensively be a secret?

There was no need to agree with such a ridiculous excuse.

I said this while opening the Instagram app on my phone.

“Then shouldn’t there be at least one person who has eaten rice cake here? There is no evidence of that on SNS. On the contrary, there have been so many certification posts about our house for months.”

“Wow, we don’t use the internet or anything like that in our house! It all spread by word of mouth!”

I’m starting to feel tired from the constant forcing.

“In the end, without any basis―”

At that moment.

The president of Sanghwa Snacks delivered the final blow.

“These people are no good! I tried to let it slide, but it didn’t work. My family has already registered the patent. That lady is the one who thinks she’ll get sued for patent infringement!”

* * *

We returned to Sanhane Snack Bar again.

As the situation is what it is, the store is closed for emergency reasons.

I had to post a notice on social media so that people wouldn’t make a wasted trip.

I called my sister right away.

“Hello? Dain, please post a notice of closure on Sanha’s snack Instagram. I think you can write that we will have to close for a while due to plagiarism controversy. We also need to emphasize that we are original so people don’t misunderstand.”

[……okay.]

“Do you have a cold? Why does your voice sound so bad—.”

A phone call that immediately hangs up.

Even though we only exchange business, she is a very cold younger sister.

‘By the way, patents… … .’

Recipes cannot be recognized as ‘copyrighted’.

However, you can legally protect your recipe by applying for a ‘patent’ with the Patent Office.

A patent is a legal right granted to an invention.

Something that can be used in industry.

Something that is not already a known technology.

Something that is different from prior art, but cannot be easily conceived from that prior art.

Meeting those conditions means that it falls within the scope of a patent.

Of course, it takes a lot of effort for the recipe to meet those conditions.

That was the reason why Baek Jong-woon’s expression was dark.

“Wow… … I never thought he’d wear human skin and do something like that… … .”

I totally agree with that.

If my mom had asked for my permission to sell a rice cake menu at her restaurant, she wouldn’t have refused to give permission.

But then you take it all and advertise it as something you developed yourself?

I wonder if this is really a person.

In the heavy silence, Baek Jong-woon opened his mouth.

“I’ll help you as much as I can! Or, somehow, I’ll compensate you in some other way. This is all because of me.”

He spoke forcefully, but his expression seemed uncertain about the patent rights.

If the patent comes into effect, it may have the effect of the ‘Act on Prevention of Unfair Competition and Protection of Businesses.’

Punitive damages for acts that infringe upon the economic interests of others by unauthorized use of the results of others’ investments or efforts for one’s own business.

A famous anecdote was the ‘seasoned chicken’ incident.

Mr. Jong-gye Yoon, who first developed seasoned chicken in Korea, did not patent the seasoning.

Then one day, an injunction is issued banning the production of seasoned chicken by an internal employee who hit the back of the head of the person who raised him and filed for the patent first.

Of course, in that case, there was enough evidence to prove the truth, so the result was quickly overturned.

This is because the person who filed the patent was an ‘internal employee’ working under Mr. Yoon Jong-gye.

‘The problem is that things are a bit different in my house… … .’

The recipe for the rice cake has already been broadcast and revealed nationwide.

It is virtually impossible to patent the recipe itself.

at that time.

Bam-

The store door opened and the production crew rushed in.

Bae Eun-ji was also included in the crowd.

They arrived late and began to bow their heads and apologize sincerely.

“We are sorry. We will do our best to compensate you in some way.”

Mom answered with a bitter smile.

“It can’t be helped. Who would have known this would happen?”

After the remodeling incident, a deep shadow fell over my mother’s face again.

‘How frustrating it would be to not be able to make the menu you worked so hard to develop.’

It’s a pain that I can’t even imagine.

The broadcasting station production staff also seemed to be clearly aware of that part.

Mom continued speaking in a gentle voice.

“I also take responsibility because I didn’t know things would get this big. It’s true that I was ignorant about patents… … .”

It was said to ease the burden on others, but it ended up making the production staff feel even more guilty.

Bae Eun-ji, who came with him, is also sitting with a guilty expression.

She spoke to me with tears welling up in her large eyes.

“I’m sorry… … . I recommended you for the show because I thought it was a really good opportunity… … .”

“It’s okay. It was a good opportunity, you know. I just wasn’t prepared enough.”

I patted her shoulder.

However, Bae Eun-ji’s tears do not stop.

I made a decision in heavy silence.

‘This can’t go on like this.’

Is there something that even the chef with the largest business establishment in the country and the terrestrial broadcasting station can’t do anything about?

But that doesn’t apply to me.

‘There is no choice but to provide true education.’

Since you’re wearing human skin, I’ll make you at least pretend to be human.