Sued by the endorsed brand, Li Yundi and his father are "unreachable"?
[4] Compiled from: Red Star News
Piano Home Co., Ltd. has added a service announcement regarding a contract dispute with Li Yundi and his father Li Chuan. Due to the respondents Li Chuan and Li Yundi being unreachable, the First People's Court of Zhongshan City has served the civil ruling and property preservation notice in accordance with regulations, and has taken preservation measures on property valued at over 3.33 million yuan under the names of respondents Li Chuan and Li Yundi.
Case review
In January 2021, Piano Home announced Li Yundi as its brand image spokesperson. Unexpectedly, ten months after signing the contract, on the evening of October 21, 2021, Ping'an Chaoyang issued a notice regarding Li Yundi's solicitation incident. The former "Piano Prince" was added to the list of disgraced artists, which is regrettable. On October 22, 2021, Piano Home's official Weibo posted an announcement stating that all brand cooperation with Li Yundi had been terminated. The post stated that Piano Home "has always provided consumers with innovative products and services with high standards, never compromising on quality, and absolutely tolerates no stains on the image of its spokespersons."
The announcement shows: Preservation measures have been taken on property valued at 3,338,461.84 yuan under the names of respondents Li Chuan and Li Yundi. During the preservation period, the preserved property shall not be transferred, leased, mortgaged, gifted, or otherwise disposed of. The preservation periods are: one year for freezing bank deposits and other funds, two years for sealing or seizing movable property, and three years for sealing real estate or freezing other property rights. The service announcement is dated March 1, 2022. According to the announcement, "This announcement shall be deemed served thirty days after its issuance."
Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China
Article 92
If the person to be served is missing or cannot be served by other means specified in this section, service shall be made by public announcement. After sixty days from the date of the announcement, the service shall be deemed to have been completed.
When service is made by public announcement, the reasons and the process shall be recorded in the case file.
Article 144
If the defendant, having been served with a summons, refuses to appear in court without justified reasons, or withdraws from court without the court's permission, a default judgment may be entered.
[1] The author's perspective
In this case, because the court could not locate Li Yundi and his father, it could serve all legal documents, including the copy of the complaint and the summons, by public announcement. When the announcement period expires, if Li Yundi and his father fail to appear in court, the court may enter a default judgment. After the judgment takes effect, the court may initiate auction procedures for the preserved property and award the amount supported by the judgment to the plaintiff. If the auction proceeds are insufficient to cover the compensation, the plaintiff may also exercise the right of recourse in accordance with the law. During this period, if Li Yundi and his father contact the court or the plaintiff and submit relevant evidence, the relevant legal procedures will be suspended. Thus, even if Li Yundi and his father do not appear, it will not hinder the progress of this case.
In early 2021, shortly after signing with Li Yundi, the companies included not only Piano but also Great Wall Motors and GAC Toyota. Prior to this, many high-end brands had cooperative relationships with Li Yundi. However, after the incident of Li Yundi's solicitation of prostitution, these brands all terminated their collaborations. According to relevant information, apart from Piano, other brands and brand partners that Li Yundi endorsed have not yet taken him to court. However, this may be because Li Yundi reached a settlement with them, possibly paying compensation privately. Now, Li Yundi has disappeared from the entertainment industry, demonstrating that artists should lead by example and not knowingly break the law; otherwise, they will not only ruin their promising careers but also face substantial compensation.
