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| Offroad Kantapon Faces Plagiarism Claims Over Lightstick Design Resembling PLAVE’s (OPENLABEL TH) |
The internet's been buzzing lately after Thai celeb Offroad Kantapon Jindataweephol found himself caught in a whirlwind of plagiarism accusations—this time, over a blinking piece of plastic.
Yep, we’re talking about lightsticks.
And not just any lightstick—fans say Offroad’s new design looks way too similar to the official lightstick of Korean virtual boy group PLAVE.
Now if you don’t already know, PLAVE isn’t your typical K-pop group.
They're fully virtual, created by VLAST, and debuted back in March 2023 with five digital members—Yejun, Noah, Bamby, Eunho, and Hamin.
Despite being made of pixels, their fandom “PLAVER” is very real and fiercely loyal.
So when similarities popped up between PLAVE’s iconic lightstick and Offroad’s, things got heated fast.
It all kicked off on Sunday (4 May), when Open Label Thailand, Offroad’s management, started promoting his upcoming lightstick.
At first glance, it looked like your standard glowy merch—until fans started noticing a few too many familiar elements: a crystal-like shape, similar colour palette, and even a circular structure in the middle.
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Before you could say “fan war,” X (Twitter) and TikTok were full of side-by-side comparisons, breakdowns, and hot takes.
Offroad hasn’t directly addressed the drama, but he did repost Open Label’s statement with a brief “I’m sorry to everyone” slapped on.
Not exactly reassuring for angry PLAVERs, who are now demanding a proper apology and for the lightstick’s release (planned for pre-orders from 5–31 May) to be scrapped altogether.
On Monday (5 May), Open Label finally spoke up, saying they’re reviewing the accusations seriously and might take legal action if things get out of hand.
Meanwhile, VLAST—PLAVE’s agency—has stayed quiet on whether they’ll pursue legal steps of their own.
Some sources reckon both sides are trying to sort it out behind the scenes, away from public chaos.
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What’s fuelling the fire even more is that fans argue it’s not just about design.
They claim Offroad’s team borrowed heavily from PLAVE’s whole vibe—especially the futuristic, virtual-world concept that’s pretty central to the PLAVE brand.
So yeah, it’s not just a crystal wand—it’s a whole aesthetic.
Of course, not everyone’s picking up pitchforks.
Some Thai fans are standing by Offroad, saying K-pop lightsticks often follow similar designs, and you can’t really claim full originality in this space anymore.
Others are calling for everyone to chill and wait for an official decision before jumping to conclusions.
For now, the lightstick’s future is up in the air. Will it glow on stage or be shelved permanently?
Guess we’ll have to wait and see—but one thing’s for sure: fandoms don’t play when it comes to their symbols.