Who did it first?

I watched a plagiarism vid of After School's Orange Caramel and C-ute. There's arguement of AS didn't copy the rotating member theme from MM, but the idea had been around for long time ago by a group in Europe.

Obviously AS won't copy from the old group because even their name was so not known. I dare say they copied from MM but it is not copying but adopting. MM didn't take the copyright. Things will change by time. It is not the issue of who start it first but who popularize it.

The old group first started it. There might be the earlier group before them who had done it so they adopted the theme. It was popular by their time. When MM did it, the theme getting popular in Asia. People says rotating members are MM's and some idol groups started to adopt the theme. The start of usage of Sotsugyou word in the biz and being widely used nowadays.

Then AKB adopted the idea secretly and adding members has been the noted criteria of AKB. It used to be MM's but now it is AKB. I've read a comment of Japanese argument, an AKB fan angry at S/M for looking for new members. They say the idea of adding member are AKB's thingy. Then a person sneak in and added, the idea is formerly popularized and still used by MM, the senior group of S/M. It would be something like this

S/M --> AKB --> MM

--> in this context is copying. But do remember, before MM, there's already a group using lots of members and adding members too. It would be like this!

S/M --> AKB --> MM --> Onyanko Club

See? One day, when S/M is big, they will say adding member is S/M thingy. New group of their big time will be accused for coying S/M. It will turn out like this:

??? --> S/M --> AKB --> MM --> Onyanko Club

The when the group become big, the theme will become their thingy and turn out like this:

?????2 --> ??? --> S/M --> AKB --> MM --> Onyanko Club

See the hierarchy? AS would be prized that adding member is their thingy in Korea. It will be the same. Like this:

???? --> ??? --> ?? --> ? --> After School

See? It is nothing right nor wrong. The world is circling in the same area. Stop being sensitive on simple matter like this~ It is not the matter of who did it first but the matter of who popularized it during that time...

Argument ended.