crime

Japan to make illegal downloading of music, videos punishable with jail terms

218 Comments

The government has passed a new amendment to its copyright laws, making illegal downloading punishable with jail terms for the first time.

The new law applies to those found in possession of pirated material such as music, DVDs or Blu-ray discs, and could result in fines of up to 2 million yen and sentences of up to two years in prison, according to CNET Japan.

The changes to the law bring Japan in line with the U.S., where downloading is already a criminal offense and punishments are even more severe. U.S. criminal penalties can run up to 5 years in prison or a $250,000 fine, 10 times higher than Japan.

The move has been welcomed by music industry figures, but has caused some concern among legal experts, NTV reported. The government claims the move has been introduced to protect people making music. Warner Music Japan CEO Keiichi Ishizaka has been quoted in the press as saying that he would like to see all illegal downloading eradicated.

The new amendment makes illegal downloading truly punishable for the first time. The downloading of copyrighted material without permission has been illegal in Japan since 2009, but as a civil matter, rather than a criminal one. As a result, punishments were restricted to those who uploaded pirated content. Uploaders were liable to face penalties of up to 10 years in prison or fines of as much as 10 million yen.

The bill passed the Lower House last Wednesday with little opposition, and passed the Upper House by a vote of 221 to 12, NTV reported. One of the few opponents of the bill, Takeshi Miyamoto, suggested although illegal downloading was a problem, a more effective approach to eradicating the practice would be to establish systems to efficiently remove illegal content, rather than to focus on punishment.

Meanwhile, NHK reports that some legal experts have expressed concern that the bill’s unclear wording could lead to unfair and unnecessary prosecutions. The bill says that a person who is aware that the the download or stream results in a copyright infringement can face charges. As a result, even watching a YouTube video could result in prosecution if the viewer is aware that streaming the media is illegal.

Some groups, including the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, have suggested that this may be an excessive measure in a country that still relies on the sales and rentals of physical media and has seen a relatively slow uptake of legal download services.

Upper House member Yuko Mori, another opponent of the amendment, was widely quoted in the Japanese press as saying, “We shouldn’t risk making the general public, including young people, the subject of criminal investigations.”

The Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) said it believes the amendments are good for the industry, and that it will strive to make the public aware of the new rules and penalties, the Nikkei reported. RIAJ chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment Japan Naoki Kitagawa claimed the changes would "reduce the spread of copyright infringement activities on the Internet."

The new law will come into effect in October.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

218 Comments
Login to comment

The bill says that a person who is aware that the the download or stream results in a copyright infringement can face charges. As a result, even watching a YouTube video could result in prosecution if the viewer is aware that streaming the media is illegal.

That's taking things a little too far. I hate when people drafting laws are ignorant as to how technology works...

37 ( +36 / -2 )

I applaud Japan for this. Seriously. I am all for any laws like this as long as the punishment is not too over the limit(like 5 years in prison for one disk or song). I am very happy with this. This day just gets better and better.

-77 ( +8 / -85 )

What do you mean not 5 years for one disk or song? Seems to me if you applaud Japan for this, then stealing should just be stealing and if you steal a song you should go to jail.

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

JT was very slow in getting this news out. This news should have been mentioned days ago.

Guess the gov't is going to have to incarcerate everyone from 15-35 years old then. Or even more actually.

What a joke this bill is. I'm thinking this law is going to be all bark and no bite as they would seriously have to take legal action against EVERYONE.

40 ( +39 / -2 )

We purposely waited in order to get some reaction to the law revision.

I think this is fairly ridiculous. There are so many ways to watch content on the internet these days, a consumer/downloaded has no way to work out what is legal and legitimate or not. Take something like crunchyroll, it is add supported so free, and was previously illegal streaming, but now is legitimate. It should be a civil offence and simply be the rights owner suing the up-loaders, or the people that know they are causing piracy by creating an upload service. Making this kind of thing a criminal offence is clearly just because America and rights owners have bullied Japan into supporting something such as the TPP, ACTA, SOPA etc. Piracy is not theft, nothing physical is lost from a user "illegally" downloading content. It is a copyright issue, due to potential loss of sale and therefore should be between the distributor of the unlicensed content and the content owner. Piracy has been twisted around from people creating counterfeit versions of a movie and selling them for and making money, to the user which has no monetary impact. A person with 0 money available, would have cause no lost of sale even if they downloaded 100% of unlicensed content. They would not be able to pay for the content even if they wanted to. The people who overall cause the loss of income are the "illegal" distributors such as youtube, or the user who uploads it to youtube.

There is no way to tell if something is free because it is "illegal" or free because it is advertisement supported. Also what is next... putting someone in jail if they change the channel or go make a cup of tea instead of watching the commercials?

30 ( +29 / -2 )

The new law applies to those found in possession of pirated material such as music, DVDs or Blu-ray discs, and could result in fines of up to 2 million yen and sentences of up to two years in prison,

That's just scary, say if you are stopped by the police and you happen to have a CD or DVD you burned from a CD or DVD you bought, 2 years in prison just for that. Some people like myself like to keep the original pristine.

11 ( +11 / -1 )

They won't be going after the average person, but I can see them trying to pin something else on you, and failing that they say, oh lookee here. During our investigation we found a copyrighted audio file in his browser cache! Book him Danno!

We don't need more laws. We need the laws erased so we can start over again! The world is becoming one big police state.

23 ( +22 / -1 )

Japan to make illegal downloading of music, videos punishable with jail terms

As long as the record giants are protected then that makes society ok. Idiotic government pandering to the likes of the Avex and Warner Japan lobbyists. This society makes no sense.

24 ( +25 / -3 )

"Found in possession" is pretty vague. How will they determine how one came into possession of such material? Frightening legislation.

12 ( +11 / -0 )

Piracy is not theft, nothing physical is lost from a user "illegally" downloading content. It is a copyright issue, due to potential loss of sale and therefore should be between the distributor of the unlicensed content and the content owner.

That's a perfect way to put it. In the days before MP3 and the iPod, kids used to tape-record songs from the radio.

Same old thing. An MP3 has a noticeable reduction in quality over a brand new CD, just as a radio recording is less satisfying than owning a vinyl record. But somebody doesn't want to realize that it's the people who couldn't be bothered to buy the high quality brand new product in the first place.

Some people like myself like to keep the original pristine.

I'm glad to have done that myself with some of mine. Disc rot can be a real pain, when they use a cheap varnish on the foil side and it starts to oxidize in random places

5 ( +7 / -2 )

I'm wondering how they actually plan to put this in effect. Ask all internet providers for log files, and sort out the ones with the ones who have big upload/download activity?

Then how about those TV sets or other home equipment that are capable of recording TV programs or even movies? Are those included in piracy equipment (honestly, they could be!)?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

This is scarey as I know they can and will catch people. A few years back a friend of mine put me onto a site called e-mule. I was able to download just about anything although the way it worked it could sometimes take a few days to do it completely. So I built up a good libary of old British programmes, old and fairly new releases in music and films on video etc. After a few months I (the wife actually) got a call from the provider who told us that we were using an illegal site (they even knew what movie I was downloading(apocalyse now)) and I was to stop immediately or they would disconnect the service. Apparently I got detected because of the amount of broadband width or whatever I was using in our apartment block.

So beware, I just got told to desist but now..............

6 ( +8 / -2 )

My 8y/o daughter is honna be pretty disappointed when I tell her she is not allowed to watch AKB48 clips on YouTube anymore. This is just an open splatter law that allows the j-flops to do whatever they like. It is quite similar to china

12 ( +14 / -2 )

The bill says that a person who is aware that the the download or stream results in a copyright infringement can face charges. As a result, even watching a YouTube video could result in prosecution if the viewer is aware that streaming the media is illegal.

What the hell does this mean? We can only download from iTunes? Where can we download legally from for a small price? How do we tell if the "the the download or stream results in a copyright infringement or not? Are we saying that downloading a movie or two a month is going to get you time in the slammer?

7 ( +9 / -2 )

As a result, even watching a YouTube video could result in prosecution if the viewer is aware that streaming the media is illegal.

Here is the key I believe, how can one actually know without a reasonable doubt that what you are watching is illegal?

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Who are they kidding? How many "illegal" breaches of copyright are there on every street in Japan? I dare the Diet members to take a walk and see how long it takes them to see 10 "illegal" uses of an anime, comic or cartoon character.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

I just wish Hulu would get a load more content... Then more people would make that transition and this probably wouldn't be an issue with regards to tv shows and movies!

It doesn't have anything compared to what my friends have access to with Netflix!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Renting (not buying) CD's and copying them onto ones MP3 player is illegal too right and would surely fall under this bill. Many Japanese people do that though... so... wtf? (BTW it is legal to make back ups of media you own).

7 ( +7 / -0 )

@otaku2012 - Shame on you. Not all of us are "OTAKU" This is ridiculous on so many levels. So many of us are not into the brand of ever so predictable, always the same faces, boring and never-changing media format that exists here. Downloading old Disney movies for my daughter is going to come to a screeching halt because of this nonsense that you praise. We are not all well-off individuals. Nor are we selling. Most of us are just watching.

Thumb me down all you want to. But this is stupid and unfair beyond belief. This is just done for corporate greed. But I still have to deal with people blowing smoke in my face. Or cars and scooters driving down the street with their license plates turned up and or covered up, which means they are not going to stop when they hit you. Or nasty magazines being displayed in Lawson and all the perverts who congregate around them. I still have to deal with the train crossing that takes more than ten minutes to open for a nearly half empty train.

But yeah, protect corporate and crap on the little guys and let him fight amongst themselves!

13 ( +15 / -2 )

They better start by closing down every music store in the nation and jailing the managers--I have yet to see a music store that DOESN'T sell blank CDs, DVDs, and even MDs next to the register! Anyway, the law is in no way meant to protect artists, who make most of their money on tours (musicians, anyway), but to protect what has become a largely unnecessary middle-man: the production companies!

14 ( +15 / -1 )

on YouTube Japan, there's a limit on downloading 2 MP4 files every hour

You mean watching in Hi-Def? Or does it distinguish between a download request from the Flash module and the browser? I assumed both ran as a pause-able octet stream that you gain access to by supplying the right signature/passcode.

The main server generates signatures which are valid for ~2 months and any of the cache servers can fulfill the request for as long as your sig is valid. This way i've watched a dozen deleted videos i happened to have bookmarked on my phone, which keeps signatures for reuse. Eventually the sigs did expire but it was worth knowing how their current system works. Years ago, their database was flv-only... '06 i believe, and then sometime in '07 they started archiving the mp4 originals, which they later used when the service was upgraded to high def. Sometime in late '08 or early '09 they changed the video request URL system to what they have now, to discourage downloaders. While it complicates things, it does absolutely nothing to keep me from archiving the cat videos and whatnot :P

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Seriously, what does this mean?? I can't watch TV on "watchseries" or other websites like that which are free??? I can't download an old Disney movie for my daughter? What a load of nonsense!!!!!!

2 ( +5 / -3 )

So, if it is illegal to make back ups of my own personal stock of music and videos, does that mean when I upload the media into my ipod/ipad, I am commiting a criminal act? Also, how the hell can you tell if what you are streaming is legal or not. It would be like arreesting someone for driving the wrong way on a one way street that doesn't have any road signs. If the government is going to pass laws like this, they need to first put into place measures to help people understand the situation better.

And I agree with Yoyouser, this is simply a matter of money. It is not theft as no property is acutally taken. If someone is caught with illegal material, then sent to jail and fined, the record companies still do not receive the money, they still experience a loss.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Downloading old Disney movies for my daughter is going to come to a screeching halt because of this nonsense that you praise. We are not all well-off individuals. Nor are we selling. Most of us are just watching.

Speaking of Disney, the whole "Disney vault" thing is ridiculous. They are bringing the whole piracy thing on themselves, if they only re-release a film every 7 years (AFAIK). What are parents supposed to do in between if the little ones have pulled the tape out of the VHS cartridge to play with the cat, or stuck the DVD halfway inside the dad's toolbox. Come on Disney, you have to be realistic..

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Congratulations everyone! Now we are all criminals! Its going to be a little hard to criticize other crims now, isn't it? May as well smoke all the dope I can and start using my laser jet printer to counterfeit money, and live it up before I get thrown in the slammer for 5 years for watching You Tube!

12 ( +12 / -0 )

The government and big business sure act quickly when it come to (protecting their money) and way of life. It would be nice if they could do the same (for the people of Japan!)

Unclear wording will lead to selective prosecution.

1 ( +8 / -7 )

Disney. Yay~! Check out any Daiso or Seria 100yen shop and see all the counterfeit Disney merchandise being sold there. Is it ok to import counterfeit goods? The whole downloading thing is just another case of 'when the rich complain the authorities listen'! If the artists weren't so greedy and sold their albums for 1/2 or a 1/4 of their cost now I am sure more people would buy them instead of sharing them. Oh wait... I forgot... these singers "need" mansions, bling, 5 cars, etc.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Hmmmmm! So Japan's 3rd world justice system has now gone a step lower to this is as bad ad it gets. And in the Japan legal system if the police and prosecutors say you are guilty, you ar guilty...no matter the evidence.... Watch out, pirates....

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I will bet you this, and it is meant in total disrespect! I will bet that those 221 politicians who voted for this are pleased with the status quo programming and the music that exists here. They don't understand that others are not happy with it.

The biggest losers in all of this are the foreigners who are not into the media here. Another loser is the Japanese person who will not discover that there are other forms that might interest them, but will stay forever looked in the box without a view of the outside.

Go after the people are selling. But I am just thinking wishfully here. This is not going to change for a long time consider the overwhelming number of bonehead, clueless politicians that voted for this nonsense.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

@Smithinjapan. Thank you!!!!! Thumbs up BIG TIME. Then don't sell blank DVD's CD's or MD's!!!!!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I will bet that those 221 politicians who voted for this are pleased with the status quo programming and the music that exists here.

I will bet that the 221 politicians who voted for this have no idea in the world what YouTube is in the first place and all of them are so old that they think that color tv was invented yesterday too!

9 ( +9 / -0 )

This is nothing but Lip Service.... The Japanese Government is bleeding Red Ink excessively and in order to properly police illegal downloaders it will require a decent investment. That coupled with the already inept Police just makes this a joke.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

@C1400 Another HOME RUN! Couldn't have said it better myself!!

Disney. Yay~! Check out any Daiso or Seria 100yen shop and see all the counterfeit Disney merchandise being sold there. Is it ok to import counterfeit goods? The whole downloading thing is just another case of 'when the rich complain the authorities listen'! If the artists weren't so greedy and sold their albums for 1/2 or a 1/4 of their cost now I am sure more people would buy them instead of sharing them. Oh wait... I forgot... these singers "need" mansions, bling, 5 cars, etc.

@Stuart Yes, it will lead to selective prosecution!!!!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I wonder if Sony Entertainment had something to do with this?

@zichi Really now? You are obviously being very cynical here. Good on you. Sony, Disney, Nintendo and all those big boys have their names written all over this. Bunch of greedy dirt bags.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Ugh, people need to read more before they start freaking out. If you check Japanese news sites there's more details coming out that say while yes, downloading illegally will be punished, watching a streaming video won't fall under the penalty of the law. Right now a lot of English language and some Japanese lang sites are having a field day complaining about the law without really knowing what it does.

Here's a link: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/web_tokushu/0621.html

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Trying to close Pandora's box--won't work.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

anyone know how I can get rid of 250+ dvdrws quick?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

So if I download a movie, Sony or whoever loses 1800yen and I spend 2 years in jail and the government foots most of the bill? Sounds like a great plan.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Fortunately for us in Okinawa, the level of active policing is almost nil. Proof? Look at how many cars go around with brake and rear lights burned out. In the US, those are like honey to the bears who slap fines on drivers. We should count our blessings!

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

oh god, i'm screwed! DELETE!!!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Here we go again, more unnecessary government intrusion from big brother at its worst. The bigger picture is WHY do a lot of people download, well, for starters if in Japan case they would bring better programming or greater access to international movies ON TIME with the rest of the world, HULA, NETFLIX and and others, people wouldn't perhaps need to download as much, but face it, as a musician, personally, I understand the ramifications of downloading have on the industry, no doubt, but there needs to be a middle ground here. Years ago, you would buy a CD and out of 14 songs, one or two were so so or just sucked, but nowadays it's the opposite, you got 12 that suck and 2 that are good, I think many artists have gotten lazy and sad to say, are doing music more for profit, than for the art of making good quality music and how many times have we all been p***** off when we listen to a CD and it just gets tossed back on the rack with all the other discs only to collect a huge mountain of dust and you spent ¥1300 to ¥2500 is it any wonder why people want to download and just select the songs that sound good? The same goes for the film industry, however, being in Japan, I blame the lack of access to many movie and TV programs. You can't watch anything in Japan usually from foreign countries, I have Skyperfect, but still, NOT THAT MUCH of a huge selection when it comes to foreign entertainment, you go on Youtube, VEVO and other programs and they are all blocked, again, what is the only option? Personally, I enjoy watching my "Game of Thrones" by the time it comes to Japan, the next Olympics in Brazil will be here! All Jokes aside, most of the world gets the latest movies and Japan is almost always dead last, this is why so many people are downloading movies and music etc, because the lack of access and also with the economy in the toilet, who wants to spend almost ¥1800 to see a movie, NOT including refreshments? If they want to go down that road to arrest people, they will have to build a lot of jail cells! I think this country has a lot more important and more constructive things they can and should do to fix this broken country, knocking on peoples door as if they are the Gestapo it serves no one!

This in time, will bite them in the butt!

4 ( +5 / -1 )

@Farmboy. You had me rolling on the floor with laughter. But that is what it is sounding like.

@zichi. Thanks for the information. Will do! And thanks for the info on Hikari TV. You should never pay money for repeats. That should be a crime, too.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

@papigiulioJun Yeah, don't sell them. From the looks of things, you will probably do time for that as well.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The new amendment makes illegal downloading truly punishable for the first time. The downloading of copyrighted material without permission has been illegal in Japan since 2009, but as a civil matter, rather than a criminal one.

Good. Now lets get hackers and the people behind the uploading onto the band/prison wagon.

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

We don't need more laws. We need the laws erased so we can start over again! The world is becoming one big police state.

Ain't that the truth!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Here's a new thing you can do, make a simple home movie and whenever you see a tv camera, play it on your phone near the camera (or make up a song and record it, then play it near a camera). By Japanese law, your recording is copyrighted, and by the other odd laws of Japan, they have no right to play it even in a news program. Then all you need to do is file a police report and get as many RIAJ idiots in jail.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@Zichi

Sorry, but I don't get it, what do you mean put it into your dropbox and download it, just curious.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Mixed feelings about this. In the US it's been more selective prosecution and high profile cases. Virtually impossible to charge everyone (millions of people)

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@paulinusa - isn't that true of most white-collar prosecutions? Send Bernie Madoff to prison and (maybe) deter other Ponzi-schemers.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

As a musician who used to be signed to an arm of a major label, I can say that unless you are in the top tier of musicians/artists, you do not make very much from album sales (if anything). Most of the revenue from album sales goes to the label who own your music. Instead, the musician/artist makes money from touring and merchandise (merchandise NOT produced by the label that is), so this is nothing more than a last ditch attempt by major labels to get as much as they can before the whole industry changes. This is futile. Artists are realising that there is no real advantage to being signed to a major label, but the disadvantages are numerous. Not owning your own songs is a huge one. Thanks to the internet, it is fairly easy to get great exposure to your core fan base. Sure, you might not have huge advertising campaigns (which are ALWAYS recouped by labels from album sales - among many other things), but if you are talented, people will check out your music, buy a t-shirt, come watch you play when you are in town. After 10 years of working with various labels, and watching the advancement of the internet/technology, I have decided that being independent musician is a far more rewarding, fulfilling prospect. I have full creative control, I own my music, and I can choose to put it out for free. After all, the greatest reward as a musician is to have people listen to and enjoy your music.

Anyway, kind of got off track, but long story short, things like this are the death-throes of a dying industry, one that is long overdue for a complete overhaul. That being said, as a foreigner in Japan, I an very worried about the consequences of this.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Essentially the government has just made the case for piracy. Now none of you can or should complain about pirates because we are all pirates now! Now its clear the government is controlled by corporations. Now, its your duty to practice civil disobedience through piracy to protest this insanity.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This certainly is one scary law that they have put through. While seemingly justifiable with the copyright and entertainment industry protection reasoning and all, this potentially enables the police to apply the law to hunt down and arrest pretty much anyone and risks authorities to abuse their power for thought control. It was put through all too fast, perhaps intentionally. Lawyers in particular should be raising their voices to detail the law in a more appropriate direction.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Well. Heres to me deleting everything I have ever downloaded. Better throw these external hard drives in a dumpster somewhere oto. Looks like my iPhones music is about to be cut in half.

At least spotify provides a decent alternative. Which is every song you stream the artist gets money. But you have to either put up with adverts OR pay a monthly fee. Im not sure if spotify is available in japan yet either.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

zichi-

It says in the article, and I have friends in real life who have been called for having their broadband width use noted and told to stop downloading "x" file or they will be reported to the police/ have their service cut off. Which sounds like the providers are in on it b4 the police even start. Which means there are lots of ppl watching you, and not focusing on the sites w/ content, like you believe, but just any random dnlder who happens to be noticeable at the time... Very scary.

Of jcourse just preaching to the choir, but I gnrly dnld stuff that's unknown to me, or even got bad reviews (so bad it is a good laf) and watch it (or just half) for a laff. Would never buy/ rent it. I have often watched a movie dnld, liked it enough to stop watching half way thru and go out and rented it so I could see it on my (bigger) tv w/ better sound and picture. Or, TV shows I can't see cuz I'm in Japan, and, TV is free, right? I mean to a consumer, tv is free. You don't like the cms, you tape and fast forward. So what is the prob w/a dnld from jpn 3 yrs after it stopped running?

I use bit torrent. I wonder if I should switch to a streaming site if my bandwidth will be watched. Any suggestions?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Just one more way to police everyone and gain some revenue through fines.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) said it believes the amendments are good for the industry, and that it will strive to make the public aware of the new rules and penalties, the Nikkei reported. RIAJ chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment Japan Naoki Kitagawa claimed the changes would “reduce the spread of copyright infringement activities on the Internet.”

The amount of time and resources spent on influencing lawmakers to pass the bill could have gone into innovations that would bring in revenue.

For the RIAJ or the RIAA banning fan made music video only means more money in my pocket because if I am not expose to old or new music on Youtube means I won't know what I am missing and not running to iTunes to buy it. BTW, fan made music videos a lot better than the company version.

As long as S.Korea offers K-pop on iTunes in America, that's where my money is going to.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Furthermore, We are all paying MONTHLY fees these days for cable tv, internet access, iPhone access, and furthermore, paying SEMI-YEARLY fees for new computers, software and software updates, new iPhones and digital audio equipment, etc etc, Yes, the co's are different than the content makers and content providers. But we don't have the extra cash anymore for buying a new cd or 3 every wk or mo, for going to or renting a movie every wk/ mo, buying a dvd. We are the ones being scalped, not the big cos making trash movies.

The laws can't use a 1950's mentality of hard and visible object-ownership in the 2010's world of technology and digitism.

(I know, more choir preaching.)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Until a buyer won't get an easily fulfilled right to get one's money back for the digital and entertaining products implemented without the privacy infringement technologies these kinds of laws are strictly partisan in favor 'poor' labels owners.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

paulinusaJun. 24, 2012 - 11:36AM JST

Mixed feelings about this. In the US it's been more selective prosecution and high profile cases. Virtually impossible to charge everyone (millions of people)

Well, Japan does have a different legal system and cops with a lot of free time on their hands. 99% conviction rate means they will just be throwing people in jail left and right.

One thing still unmentioned is how will this work with the import law? Japan already has a law declaring that primary copyright holders can exclude items purchased abroad as illegal. What if you buy a Japanese movie in the USA because it has subtitles, and then bring it to Japan. What if you download something by VPN (or just from one computer you own to another) under fair use or by a valid license and the Japanese companies refuse to accept it? I can see this law having major international implications, since the internet is not Japanese.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

They could easily stop this by throttling downloads with the co-operation of ISPs,limit downloads to a monthly amount and stop selling blank DVD-Rs and CD-Rs. Any electrical outlet store has huge amounts on display encouraging copying.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I actually find out about most bands by people posting videos on youtube. Then I go out and spend a lot of money acquiring their albums and videos. So basically, the RIAJ doesn't want my money?

Also, @Ben Read, that's a great post.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

anyone know how I can get rid of 250+ dvdrws quick?

Plastic cases go in the non-burnable trash bin. Actual disks? No idea! Put them out together with the twice a month pickup of umbrellas and spraycans?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I don't keep much DATA on my computers, just what need for OS and some daily stuff. All of my DATA is kept on external drives

@zichi,

While you almost have it right, there's still something of a breadcrumb trail on your computer, if it's a Windows machine. There are MRU lists (most recent used), such as "recent documents" and a few others. Ad-aware can be used to clear those and a few other utilities can. I would think a registry setting can disable MRU lists, though i can't say for sure.

The other less obvious one is the "unused" portion of your hard drive, where the Windows memory pagefile used to be. While digging around in the pagefile leftovers isn't something the average computer forensics lab likes to do, it's still there. If you want to prevent that, the thing to do is to have 4GB+ RAM and turn off memory swapping. The pagefile can also be assigned to a different drive, usually for performance reasons.

Using a "portable" web browser set to run from the USB drive can prevent browser history and cache from being left on the computer, same goes for P2P apps

The last thing AFAIK would be the hibernate memory dump, aka hiberfil.sys

It's a snapshot of your RAM (i assume only physical although with references to the virtual sections in the pagefile), written to the harddisk so that you could resume a previous Windows session from a cold boot. When you boot up and log in, it doesn't get immediately overwritten. That's important, because many computers are configured by default to go from standby/sleep into deep sleep/hibernate when the battery level falls below a certain level, or after a set period of time if the machine is left unplugged.

I hope everyone enjoyed my well meaning if cryptic summary of Windows "data leaks"

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Way to take it up from the behind from the corporations, Japanese government.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

A few years back a friend of mine put me onto a site called e-mule. I was able to download just about anything although the way it worked it could sometimes take a few days to do it completely. So I built up a good libary of old British programmes, old and fairly new releases in music and films on video etc. After a few months I (the wife actually) got a call from the provider who told us that we were using an illegal site (they even knew what movie I was downloading(apocalyse now)) and I was to stop immediately or they would disconnect the service. Apparently I got detected because of the amount of broadband width or whatever I was using in our apartment block.

They know because what you're downloading through something like e-mule or bittorrent is already public. So it's more likely that the corporations are scanning through what people are downloading through e-mule or bittorrent, etc, and then they notify the ISP if they're downloading pirated material. Of course if you're using too much bandwidth then your ISP will likely get suspicious too.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Good old Japan - busy playing the fiddle while the nation burns (pardon the pun)

All the excitement of throwing away ripped DVDs and hard-drives is quite humorous. Quick the J-Cops are coming!!

Relax folks.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Nishi Shinjuku is full of bootlegged material, Tower records stores openly carry bootlegged and pirated items form south America and southern Europe that carry bogus copyright retails on their art work and nobody does a thing about it! When I raised this issue with the Japanese performing reoyalties organisation JASRAC, I was told that it was of no concern to them as the items in question were form western artists, not Japanese artists - even though JASRAC collect for the western royalties organisations.

This is pure hypocracy!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

You can be sure they'll be fining people rather than sending them to jail. Just another way to screw money out of the public!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

As others have said, this law makes criminals of just about everyone. When it comes into effect and the J-police reveal their first arrests, I will be eagerly awaiting the response of every news program that has ever sourced questionable material from Youtube or other sources. Watch as they cue footage of an unwitting obasan sitting in a dark room, face pixeled and voice raised to helium Terminator level; blubbering about how regretful she is that got caught out for watching a copyrighted Youtube clip of some sappy South Korean boy band. Oh and don't forget the menacing backing track of Jaws (probably also used without permission), that will accompany said criminal expose!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Well, Japan does have a different legal system and cops with a lot of free time on their hands. 99% conviction rate means they will just be throwing people in jail left and right.

That's the thing that really scares me. The J-Stazi really do and because of that, I feel they will get really anal about this. But then again, who knows, J-cops are slow and perhaps many of them won't want to do this, it would be a tedious work, gathering up computers, HDD and USB files etc. with the millions that download in Japan (you know who you are) I am wondering if they have the will power to get out there persecute people like this on a grand scale. But then again, these cops will throw you in solitary confinement for snagging a bike and make you feel like you're on death row.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

You can be sure they'll be fining people rather than sending them to jail. Just another way to screw money out of the public!

...or cutting off your service, which is just as bad.

Zichi, ANY other great advice? Now is a great time to speak up.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Your provider can provide the where's and what's of your internet sessions. No need for intrusive home invasions IF the providers play ball and you KNOW they will.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I would say to everyone I know, not to download anything online, and 1 week before this law comes to effect , to start boycotting these big J companies, not to buy a single CD , music, not to rent movies, or anything to do with media,

We could show them our buying power!! ( just a dream , lol )

2 ( +2 / -0 )

With Japan's lack of investigation ability, this will be less effectively pursued than the NHK law requiring everyone to pay... or else. As has been said, likely the police will only go after really big offenders... like that guy in Australia who was a major distributor.

And as also been said, until Sony and other corporations stop making blank DVD's and selling them in the rental shops (as well as manufacturing the computers with the copy programs installed right from the start in the pc's when you buy them ) the downloading and copying of movies and music will continue...

How far can they take this actually? Will they outlaw DVD recorders, too? Let's try this Sony Entertainment. stop all this piracy at the source. Stop selling all PC's, DVD recorders, CD recorders, MP3 players and blank media that could possibly copy and record your material. Then close the movie theaters where copies are made on Sony hand-cams. Then you should finally be able to prevent people from seeing and copying your movies and music.

Of course without any revenue from sales, Sony will go out of business in a few months.Then the other more tolerant companies will prevail...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

everyone is downloading music and videos for free, so why not all come out on the street next sunday. hold a sign up: please arrest me and put me in jail. i wonder what would happen than? hahaha people are just have no idea what power they got when get together. they cannot throw 100mio in jail!!!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Well. Heres to me deleting everything I have ever downloaded. Better throw these external hard drives in a dumpster somewhere oto. Looks like my iPhones music is about to be cut in half.

I hope you're joking. Just encrypt them with a third party app, something stronger than .zip or .rar file encryption, which can be broken. I can look into what can also make the drive look empty, with a few innocuous files.. it's done by marking files for deletion but not deleting them entirely.

Encrypted files can't be searched, and deceptive filenames on "deleted" files can make them not "worthwhile"

Seriously, i hope you reconsider throwing away usable hardware. If you want to erase files at all costs, zero out the drives. There's an app for that and it's free. Spybot Search and Destroy has a free file shredder utility as well, which scrambles files to make the unreadable.

Your iPhone should be off-limits to anyone, if you sign up for the remote erase service that Apple provides. The phone will wipe itself also if it is programmed to if someone enters the wrong pin/password 3 or so times.

Whoever wants to throw away 250 DVD-RWs, you don't have to hurry up and do it now. You can set the disk on "erase" and write a small (~50mb) file on each. It won't erase the data but will make it unreadable/unplayable, and you can put them all in a box that says that they are all blanks. That way, they can be reused rather than having several pounds of BPA (bisphenyl-a) released into the atmosphere. DVDs are polycarbonate plastic, so they contain quite a bit of that stuff, which is a carcinogenic artificial "female hormone". Look, i'm not telling anyone what to do, it's just enough time till October the 1st to overwrite those disks and not risk anyone's health. Furthermore, i'm not sure if anyone purposely look for them if you aren't arrested for downloading in the first place

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Still the chance of actually getting arrested for possessing pirated material is very very very astronomically small... but if you're really paranoid then you can just encrypt the data which isn't very hard to do.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Are there any other industries which manage to force governments to create laws just for them at the expense of eroding personal freedoms? And this law will entail an infringement of personal liberties as police will have the power to enter and search your home on the basis of information from your ISP. Even if you have been downloading legally, the police will be able to rummage through everything in your place(s) of residence based on this ISP "evidence". Japans present inept government (and its equally inept opposition parties) hasn't managed to pass any laws or reforms which deal with its pressing social issues and other urgent problems, yet theyve managed to find time for this. I suppose the police will initially look to make some high-profile prosecutions as scare tactics...one might expect they`d be more interested in protecting their home market, but it will probably depend on what the members of the Recording Industry Association of Japan decide.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Your provider can provide the where's and what's of your internet sessions. No need for intrusive home invasions IF the providers play ball

That wouldn`t be enough evidence for prosecution. And I'm sure the cops would much prefer to go to court with "exhibit A"...a hard disc full of illegally downloaded movies and music. Also a police interrogation would still be necessary to determine who (in a family or group) had actually downloaded any illegal content.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Why the stupid double standards so evident here? If you want to watch a movie, buy the DVD. If you want some music, buy the CD or download it and pay.

Illegal downloads are straightforward theft. Would this site be happy to publish people's advice on how to steal a car, or pickpocket on the Tokyo subway?

STOP THIEVING losers.

-12 ( +0 / -12 )

I ripped my entire collection of DVDs to a RAID drive. I shredded the discs. I never want to see another disc as long as I live.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The only people with anything to fear are thieves.

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

Also.... How long before we read the stories of J-cops being arrested for having illegally downloaded films on their computers...

4 ( +4 / -0 )

This is a very good idea. It's not as if there are any more important matters needing the attention of our protectors at the moment, is it?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Probably most iPod (or similar device) users are at risk then too? I mean, ... even the ones with 'small' capacity like 4GB. Is there anybody out there having 4GB of their purchased stuff only on these?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

tokyokawasaki:

How long before we read the stories of J-cops being arrested for having illegally downloaded films on their computers...

Absolutely gauranteed to happen. Then they'll distribute them, along with thousands of sensitive criminal files, on Winny.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

...And Japan will be boring as hell for those people who doesn't want to spend much for their entertainment! :(

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Ben Read: EXACTLY what I was saying! And to have that backed up by a musician who has been in both worlds is telling. Thank you.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Why don't they catch then all creators and sellers of MP3, WMA, OGG VORBIS and other music formats? Go after SONY, APPLE, PANASONIC, TOSHIBA and all makers because they allow legitimate users then to move their CD contents into their portable music player.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

The new law will come into effect in October.

All l can say to that is PHEW!!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think theres a greater issue involved here. Its called the erosion of privacy and individual rights. This kind of legislation gives the authorities the foot in the door to start snooping on the internet activities of anyone (and subsequently ALL activities of anyone) they choose (for any reason they might have); illegal downloader or not.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

My above post is in reply to this quote:

Why the stupid double standards so evident here? If you want to watch a movie, buy the DVD. If you want some music, buy the CD or download it and pay.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Plus I have like 15 terabytes of downloaded stuff, they might as well give me the death penalty for that!

Seriously ROFLMAO.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Go after SONY, APPLE, PANASONIC, TOSHIBA and all makers because they allow legitimate users then to move their CD contents into their portable music player.

Won't happen. There is a double standard here. If you go to Youtube and make a search "crank 2 full movie", you could watch the entire movie in Youtube without paying anything, because Youtube is too big to bust, despite it is registered in the US. They rather punish little people. This law is made to protect the big corporations, not to punish them.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@zichi

It only becomes a crime after Oct.1, not before it.

Hell yeah! It will give me enough time to fly all my mobile HDD's out of the country to avoid prosecution! ;-)

@REMzzz

I keep all my data on mobile HDD's. All of it. Been doing it for years now. Both of my laptops (Mac and NEC) are clean. They'll have to find and confiscate my M-HDD's if they want to pin something on me. lol

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

The stated purpose of democracy is that the government represents the people. When a government does not represent the people, but a certain subclass, that is not democracy, that is aristocracy. When a government does not listen to facts, but listens to beliefs, that is not democracy, that is theocracy. When a government does not listen to the people, or to the rule of law, that is not democracy, that is dictatorship. We believe that democracy is the ideal, and it is to this end that we do aspire and work.

When laws, when constitutions, when the fabric of a society is ignored, to prop up the power bases of those in control, when rights, liberties, and freedoms are ignored, or deemed less important than protection from some rare event. When the protections themselves are the cause of the actions they are supposed to defeat, when punishments and protections do not deter but incite, and when the greed of the few is deemed more important than the rights of the many, we must question the motives of those that sought them.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Under this law if your company is investigated for tax evasion then employees will be at risk of doing felony jail time for any illegal downloads found on the office systems (even if your company wins their tax case). Welcome to the Orwellian Kafkaesque new age.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

News from a future newspaper: “A man was stopped yesterday at the boarder of Italy and France, his computer was scanned and pirated material was found, mostly Adobe software and songs by Beatles. The man was arrested at the spot”

From a poem to a drug, from an piece of software to a music record and from a film to a book, everything that’s famous and profitable, owns much of its economic value to the manipulation of the Multitudes. People haven’t asked to know what the Coca-Cola logo looks like, neither have they asked for the melody of “Like a Virgin”. Education, Media and Propaganda teach all that the hard way; by either hammering it on our brains or by speculating over our thirst, our hunger, our need for communication and fun and most of all, over our loneliness and despair. In the days of Internet, what can be copied can be also shared. When it comes to content, we can give everything to everyone at once.

Around this realization, a new social class is awakening. This is not a working class but a class of Producers. Producers are pirates and hackers by default; they recycle the images, the sounds and the concepts of the World. Some of it they invent but most they borrow from others.

Because information occupies a physical part of our bodies, because it is literary “installed” on our brain and can’t be erased at wish, people have the right to own what is projected on them: They have the right to own themselves! Because this is a global World based on inequality and profit, because the contents of a song, a movie or a book are points of advantage in a vicious fight for survival, any global citizen has the moral right to appropriate a digital copy of a song, a movie or a book. Because software is an international language, the secrets of the World are now written in Adobe and Microsoft: we should try hack them. Finally, because poverty is the field of experimentation for all global medicine, no patents should apply.

Today, every man with a computer is a Producer and a Pirate. We all live in the Internet, this is our new country, the only territory that makes sense to defend and protect . The land of the Internet is one of information. Men should be able to use this land freely, corporations should pay for use - a company is definitely not a person.

Internet is now producing “Internets”, situations that exist not only online but also in real space, governed by what is happening online. This is the time for the foundation of an global Movement of Piracy. The freedom of infringing copyright, the freedom of sharing information and drugs: these are our new “Commons”. They are Global Rights and as such, Authorities will not allow them without a battle. But this will be a strange battle because this is the first time the Multitudes disrespect the Law instinctively and on a global scale.

Today, an army of teenagers is copying, the adults are copying and even the senior citizens, people from the Left and from the Right are copying. Everyone with a computer is copying something; like a novel Goddess Athena, Information wants to break free from the head of Technology and it assists us on our enterprise.

Pirates of the Internet Unite!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

zichi,

yeah, I hain't ben warned neither, but I know many who have. Now that this is a law, tho, anythings possible.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@zichi

With 15TB's you must be running a mini DATA farm? Thought I was bad with about 3TB's of mostly personal files, video, photo's, files and my legal music collection, about 10,000 songs.

Zichi, you got me! I've been on this "business" since I was 15. ;-) No plans for me to quit anytime soon. Downloading is a basic human right. If they want to take that, they will have to take the Internet as well.

With a Mac you can lock down files with a passport, otherwise encrypt is good too. On a Mac you can even hide files.

True, though I still prefer to keep the laptops empty, you know..just in case.

I think I'll stick some radiation labels on all my hard drives. After Fukushima, that should do the trick?

Haha Brilliant! I'll definitely take note on that.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

QUESTION!

Is this law retroactive? ppl are talking like they have to clean their computers. If I have a few music cps I copied from friends or dnlded from the internet BEFORE October, I'm ok, I thought. No?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What is the big fuss about, this is not like banning free speech or monitoring you for that. You only have to worry if you are doing illegal downloads and stealing what is not yours.

Why should you have sometyhing free? you wouldn't go out and shoplift or burgal but it is the same just seems different as you can see no victim.

I think JT should ban anyone here giving advice on how to commit crimes and avoid detection,.low morals indeed.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

The NHK news article says that it's a 親告罪 and that there can be no punishment if there's no party to make a complaint.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

LowlyJUN. 24, 2012 - 08:04PM JST

QUESTION!

Is this law retroactive? ppl are talking like they have to clean their computers. If I have a few music cps I copied from friends or dnlded from the internet BEFORE October, I'm ok, I thought. No?

Don't worry, just try to keep any "shady" stuff out of your pc or laptop. I highly recommend using mobile HDD's. They work like a charm.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

fine.. no more watching youtube!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wrong, just wrong. You shouldn't lock people up for downloading copyrighted material. It's a civil matter, plain and simple.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@JohhnyGlitterball

What is the big fuss about, this is not like banning free speech or monitoring you for that. You only have to worry if you are doing illegal downloads and stealing what is not yours.

I think JT should ban anyone here giving advice on how to commit crimes and avoid detection,.low morals indeed.

I think you you answered your own question. If we are going to criticise copyright laws, we have to make examples and to be allowed to do that, we have to speak freely about these "crimes".

I actually had to think if it is morally right to encourage people to search copyrighted material from Youtube, but it had to be done to make my point clear. Of course I didn't know that Japan already have censored version of Youtube.

@Zichi

I think recently in Britain, a law was introduced requiring IP's to block sites like Pirate Bay.

Piratebay block doesn't help, because people just make mirror sites. In the Uk it took almost entire day, before first mirrors were up.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wrong, just wrong. You shouldn't lock people up for downloading copyrighted material. It's a civil matter, plain and simple.

I think precious few people are going to appreciate how you just hit the nail so hard on the head that you sent it through the board, the wall, a tree outside....the only people that should be arrested are the monkeys that came up with this law! Its criminal how they turned a civil matter into a criminal one!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Well, I think it could result into something beneficial. Instead of watching movies and listening to music people, especially kids, can watch teaching ideas instead. it's not like young people don't need to study. Plus what will happen with the fines collected? Will they be shared with the copyright owners? After all, the money was collected due to those copyright owners' materials. They are entitled to at least ninty percent of the penalty fees. If they do not receive that money is not the government stealing? The purpose is to decrease or eliminate profit loss and keeping the money in the owners' control. I would love to see the deal concerning the redistribution of the collect fees. One person ¥2 000,000! That's some serious profit! I know the copyright owners want that cash.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

ohhh yeah japanese prices domo arigato mister roboto

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This law always creating doubts in the mind of the people is watching youtube is illegal now ?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I am glad I kept all my cassette-tapes and my old stereos from the age before there was internet. I can freely copy all those songs from the radio on my tapes (if only there were any, except for 2PM that is, of course). Who cares about the quality anyway! Movies, lol, apart from that Navy Seals movie advertised on here a few days ago, is there any movie worthwhile watching right now? I am glad to have The Godfather 1,2,and 3 on video tape and it still works fine in my old videorecorder on my analogue TV. I can only hope that they will allow me to read those books my sister send me that she read last month.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Another classic example of pure Italian Fascism! Mussolini would be proud of you, Japan. Government passing unreasonable laws to satisfy a monopoly driven by special interest group! This is a sad day for free society.

Now entire entertainment industry can take a breath, have a laugh, raise their prices and delay those movies even further!

By the people for the people? This is tyranny plain and simple.

I can't wait for the day when a middle class tax payer will scream enough is enough and resort to manic violence.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

this is nothing but more stress to the already stressful society, the children and the people who do not know much about computer or searching a site can get in to the danger zone mistakenly and then will have to face the music. The law, the sites should be clearly explained. those sources should be blocked through which illegal stuff is possible. human life is very important and a person should not go to jail if he/she do not know about the law clearly or unaware.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Now, along with Narcotics, carrying a recorded tv program, movie, music, or anything deemed potentially illegal will end you in prision. Gaijin can forget streaming TV programs over VPNs from their home countries, that:s illegal too. How will this new draconian law be enforced ?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Jgov going in the wrong direction...again.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

is the japanese gov forgetting how much money goes into japan from foreign country's from the anime and music fans? they take away clips and video of amine and music then there will be less money going in. it all good advertising.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

JohhnyGlitterballJun. 24, 2012 - 08:07PM JST

What is the big fuss about, this is not like banning free speech or monitoring you for that. You only have to worry if you are doing illegal downloads and stealing what is not yours.

What if you download a bluray version of a bluray disk you legally have but can't play because the DRM changed and your legally purchased software and disk player is broken by the movie studios changing DRM keys? What about making compressed copies of songs you purchased as CD or tape? Both can be punishable without you stealing anything.

Also, this type of law is impossible without reservations saying that IP owners and law enforcement have the legal authority to check to make sure you aren't downloading something of theirs. In essence, they need to spy on you at all times, or even at some time, in order to push their case forward. If there is not already applicable framework that they will latch onto, you will see that the MPAJ/RIAJ will push for adding those laws as well.

Especially at risk are foreigners in Japan, as they don't have the same legal protections as Japanese citizens. Police could theoretically barge in to search for items that may be in violation of the law without probable cause. And it likely won't matter to them if you downloaded before or after the law, they will just say that the law states possession is illegal.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Gaijin can forget streaming TV programs over VPNs from their home countries, that:s illegal too. How will this new draconian law be enforced ?

I guess I will miss the next season of Hawaii 5-O when it comes out in the Fall.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Patrick SmashJUN. 24, 2012 - 11:56PM JST

This is what you get when a country is run by a bunch of old men who don't know what the internet is. Unfortunately this really affects foreigners most as many of us find the local version of entertainment not to our taste. But it doesn't matter what any of us think, a few hundred old men (who have probably received "donations" from the entertainment industry in excange for their votes) have spoken.

BINGO!!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Ok, i want to actually legally BUY my movies, music, TV shows.....but go to Japan iTunes....they do not have the most of the stuff i want....about watching YouTube.....i expect them to open a WARNING window for me everytime i am about to watch anything illigal without knowing it.....other then that....not my fault!!! There are US websites with TV drama epiodes you can not watch from Japan....i guess YouTube will be something like that now?....and btw. What about those shows, movies, concerts you record at home from TV on your HDD player:)aren't those things designed to record something what you can not watch real time.... how many of us burn DVDs of those recordings and give them to friends or relatives.....i do not know anyone who would sell something like that....it is just like lending a book to someone.....but what? Also illigal?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Just to round out the picture on the business practices of the recording industry. Does anyone remember the Bay City Rollers? The band generated BILLIONS, yes billions in revenue but were given peanuts. That was in 1976. It is now 36 years later and Arista records, owned by Sony, has been dragged into court by various members of the Bay City Rollers. Sony lawyers claimed that they did not have to pay the royalties because the statue of limitations in contract disputes is six years. However, the judge ruled that because the plaintiffs provided documentation showing that Arista had promised to pay the royalties decades ago that the case could go forward. The band may have sold 300 million records but for some reason the record company seems to be saying that the band only sold 50 million.

In my opinion, people have no problem at all with paying musicians for their work, but they know the entire music industry is corrupt to the core.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Protecting those who make the music, load of trite thats what is it, most of the money goes straight into fat businessmens pockets

to the artist your looking at 10cents an album, to the engineers and makers, less.

Do you remember 20 years ago when music was about music, where people made their own styles

Now its driven by fat businessmen employing people who know whats easy to sell, regardless of quality, and God forbid any "ugly" artist have a chance.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

can any one explain how this law will be enforced and who will monitor the personal computers. is the law enforcement agency can ask for checking your computer any time or what will be the procedure.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

What worries me most is the National Police Agency. Fifteen or so years ago mandatory bicycle registration emboldened them to stop any bicyclist on the street and demand to look up the registration. You know they'd just love the ability to stop anyone with a mobile phone and demand to know where the music stored on it came from.

Will they actually do this? Of course not. Will they use it as a workaround to stop and question someone that they otherwise have no justification for stopping? You bet.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

ThonTaddeo here is the confusion, how the NPA will check the cellphone, the personal computers placed in home/offices, will they inter in the office or in home while doing so?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Proxy and Thomas

Yes, I remember them, damn are we old or what?!!!! but yes, I agree with the both of you and as a musician and a person who worked in the entertainment industry, music and television, both can be corrupt, but the music industry 10X more without a doubt! I am by trade a sound engineer and if you are lucky and I mean, really lucky, you can make a good living, but nowadays, with Protools and Logic Pro, the advancement of home recording, you can do it yourself, save a lot of money and while that's great, it's making our trade a slow thing of the past. Not meaning to get offtrack, but it is so true, we don't make any money, but the producers and business people are rolling in cash. And forget about quality, the music nowadays that we hear is NOT music, I don't care what people think, but there is a difference between music and muzak!

Which brings me back to my original previous point, if musicians were to make quality music, I would gladly spend the money to buy it. But for the last 10 years, almost everything has been a waste of time.

@Patricia

You are preaching to the choir! I have been saying this for years. This is what I am talking about, but WE are the criminals?? Let's face it, Japan wants you to spend money on stupid NHK (that usually has crappy programs anyway) we won't even talk about Sundays! Youtube is not always easy to watch everything, Japan iTunes store (what a joke) what can you buy? Might as well go to Tower Records and spend more money, you are better off. Even Skyperfect, I love it beats watching local J-TV, but even on SkyPer, there are a lot of useless channels out there. Personally, I think if Japan were more open (entertainment wise) across the board, I don't think people would be downloading as much. Don't know about you, but I can't stomach another Full House episode!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Farmboy: You buy a DVD. What do you own? Can you lend it to a friend? Yes? Can you lend it to someone you don't know? Yes? Can you lend it to someone you don't know over the Internet? No? If someone lends you a DVD, is it legal? Yes? Is it legal over the Internet? No? If you buy a DVD, can you sell it? Yes? Can you sell it over the Internet? No? Does all of this make sense? No?

Yes...

In the US it is legal to watch a movie in the home with a group of friends or family members.

It is illegal to show a movie to a group of people outside the home because that required permission from the copyright holder to approved it by charging for showing it or allow it for free at the copyright holder own discreationary. The classroom is one exception where there is no charge because it used for education purposes.

In the US there is a recent change made when watching a dvd, the person can't skip the copyright warning messages which comes with three seals instead of just the FBI one.

DVDs and Blu-rays will now carry two unskippable government warnings @ http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/05/dvds-and-blu-rays-will-now-carry-two-unskippable-government-warnings/

0 ( +1 / -1 )

do something about killers, bad drivers and perverts -_- not this! nobody's killing ppl by downloading things. our freedom is being taken away slowly

1 ( +2 / -1 )

LH10JUN. 25, 2012 - 04:12AM JST

do something about killers, bad drivers and perverts -_- not this! nobody's killing ppl by downloading things. our freedom is being taken away slowly

Well said!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Hope some of you realise that you are showing how to commit theft on aforum viewable by the public and the authorities. Us honest foreigners in japan sometimes have a hard time being trusted by the locals.

If a certain type of japanese person beacme angry about this subject many here are providing good ammunition for us to be bashed further. These are not private conversations anyone can view your posts and you can be traced.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Sounds like it's time for full disc encryption plus VPN. Next, they will criminalise that on the grounds that it is used by "terrorists".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Franchesca

Already happening in case you haven't noticed. Can't unlock your iPhone, can't dance in most cities in Japan after midnight, if you take a wif of beer, can't get near a car, can't eat when you walk, can't listen to your music with your headphones on too loudly etc.....see where this is slowly going?

@Johnny

If we go by your so called rational logic, A huuuuuge chunk of foreigners are dishonest criminals, incarcerate them and you have your 100 or so as you say honest people left. Japan would be a very empty place. As for a certain type, these old sterile government officials have been on the war path for a very long time and they seem to be circling closer in. So you are saying, we should not vent and go underground and make our feelings known using encrypted servers? We should be using sign language? We should just all cave into the masses? How about venting your frustration at a government that wants to use this issue as a diversion for failed policies and issues that they screwed up time after time again and or letting them stack on their desks collecting dust. When you think about it, it makes sense, the government and the police really have nothing to do. Sitting at the desk all day, boredom at their feet. They always make a big issue out of nothing and with this, they will try to make this a gargantuan issue trying to round up anyone they can, especially a foreigner, you know it'll make headline news. Am I paranoid, not really, but paranoia is hitting the government and slowly, but like clockwork, they will overdue everything, fixing things that needn't be fixed and leave things broken that seriously need to be fixed

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@bass4funk

As an owner of copyright material i am all for illegal owning of copyrighted material to be illegal. I don't mean someone copying a disc from another for personal use. I am sure the law will be used for thsoe downloading large amounts of copyrighted material for feee and also thsoe putting the stuff online.

It seems you are correct, most foreigners in japan are criminals jidging by how they boast of their illegal acts. They would not boast if they were a shoplifter, visa overstayer or similar. We are living ina society where we want it all but do not want to pay for it. I can't get many things i could back home as i am residing inJapan but i will never use an illegal method of obtaining for free.

The people showing off here about owning huge amounts of illegally downloaded stuff deserve to called criminals and i don't mean the odd DVD someone may copy.

I have no frustrations BTW, just hate hypocrisy, something we have seen from many regarding this subject.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

The band generated BILLIONS, yes billions in revenue but were given peanuts.

Yes I remember that story along with many others if you watch the VH1 shows on the backgrounds of the artists and how they got screwed. Take for instance the old TV show "Gilligan's Island." It has been on TV almost every year somewhere since it was cancelled in the 60's, but the stars don't see any of the profits from syndication. Yet the RIAA, and other music and TV execs have the gall to pressure governments to pass laws against someone wanting to look or listen to music on the internet.

If the J-Gov and all of the other governments want to drill into our lives and find out what's on our computers by passing laws, then it would seem only fair for them to pass laws to make those same companies do right by their former artists and pay the proper royalties. But I am sure that the industry execs will say that those artist signed a contract, but I didn't sign a contract when I look at a video on the net. I guess that is somewhere in the service agreement with the cable company that I signed.

I forsee, that what may happen if this type of law is really enforced, a drop in web traffic to places like You-tube and others. Big companies like Google, etc will notice a decrease in web traffic and with their money influence legislators to ease back on these types of laws. If anything I don't think people will start back buying CDs again, or going to concerts, since people normally judge a group by watching them a few times on places like You-tube and listening to their music before dropping a huge sum of money (especially in Japan) to go to a concert.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

zichi - A Truecrypt and Bitlocker setup works pretty well for Windows-based computers, and I use Truecrypt for my Linux computers too.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Johnny Gliterball

As an owner of copyright material i am all for illegal owning of copyrighted material to be illegal. I don't mean someone copying a disc from another for personal use.

Yes, but the law makes that illegal too.

I can't get many things i could back home as i am residing inJapan but i will never use an illegal method of obtaining for free.

So how do you propose to pay for it?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I applaud Japan for this

That's how freedom dies.

This is all corporate and by Deep Pockets. Now they can remove any and all dissent PLUS arrests individuals who express dissent against the government.

YouTube was taking away from regular network TV. YouTube offered individual choice. In order to control the masses they must all be tuned into the media.

This bill effectively kills the Internet in Japan except for the content that is provided by NBC and NHK Broadcasting. How dare you watch anything else.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

That means a google search is now illegal!

If you search for a Japanese artist and a photo of them comes up that is copyright and you know that it is copyright-ed, you have already seen it and you have already downloaded it!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

2020hindsights; If i cannot get something i can go without, i will continue living my life without it concerning me.

There are a lot of illegal discs sold in the streets and online by dodgy people, this goes on a lot and these are the people that will be targeted.

I cannot see anywhere that watching Youtube or similar will be illegal, they seem to be only talking about downloading from those sites, if that is the case watch only don't download.

Someone also mentioned using a VPN, i cannot see how that could be considered illegal, as far as i know there are no lwas preventing them anywhere.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Johnny Glitterball

The difference between pirates and thieves is that pirating doesn't take anything away from the original and leaves it perfectly intact. The RIAA will tell you how big their losses are by how many times a CD is downloaded, but you have taken nothing from them per se. Besides, the logic of pirating goes like this: the bands make almost no money for CD sales (the meager amount of less than $1 per CD sold goes to production costs, promotion, etc). They do profit from shows and if you can download their music free, word spreads wider and the shows still fill up.

If you want to pay 20 bucks to make sure that a massive bloodthirsty business stays afloat, be my guest. But I'd rather pay something reasonable for a CD that will go mostly to the artist. And I may download a movie but I would never go see one in the theater, and I would rarely rent them either.

The problem is that these dinosaurs want to keep their claws in the industry without changing with the times and they've got the gov't in their pocket. If it's a you-gouge-me-or-I-gouge-you system, I'll gouge them every time.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@chooch,

Many artists now have items you can buy directly from their websites, ltd ed stuff unavailable elsewhere etc. IMost more maturer and business savvy artists do that these days. You can buy their material, get something arre that may even increase in value and also support the artist. Not all companies are blood thirsty business, there are many much smaller labels which give a great deal to upcoming talent and give the decent share of profits. They also don't just cherry pick who they think they can exploit and make a new Beiber or a similar type of monstrosity.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Even though there are clear faces in this case, the true objective has not been discussed.

In the last decade the Internet has toppled dictators and brought down corrupt governments. These measures are being taken in order to give authorities the power to delete your video content because you happen to get the 7-Eleven sign in your protest video.

The bill takes away something valuable to you. Something you find most dear. The government is going along with this cause it protects something most valuable to them....their jobs.

What if The Cove was on the internet for everybody to see? What if you feared watching it cause the police would come and take everything away from you?

Every newspaper, every library, every website on the Internet government controlled and monitored. Japan's wretched government did this very quietly. Japanese oblivious as to what happened in the U.S. and never cared about what would happen to their lives if such laws were passed.

It's done. You'd be hard pressed to reverse it. I know my day is coming. They'll come for me just like they'll come for you. I'm outspoken. I disagree with what the government has done. I watch programs in English on the Internet cause I refuse to buy a TV cause it forces me to pay for NHK.

Yeah, I would leave Japan over this. Won't have you taking away my civil rights. I want English programming without subtitles. I'm guilty right now. I love SuperBowl commercials. Come get me out of here.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I don't know much about them, but would the use of a seed box be a way to get around you're internet provider spying on what you are downloading?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Copyright laws should not exist! This lobbying by the recording companies pure and simple. Corruption at its best!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

It's terrible, and of course Japan won't do anything about it.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

2020hindsights; If i cannot get something i can go without, i will continue living my life without it concerning me.

Lucky you.

There are a lot of illegal discs sold in the streets and online by dodgy people, this goes on a lot and these are the people that will be targeted.

How do you know who will be targeted?

I cannot see anywhere that watching Youtube or similar will be illegal, they seem to be only talking about downloading from those sites, if that is the case watch only don't download.

Watching YouTube is downloading. The data is downloaded to your computer when you watch it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

2020hindsights;

This has been reported in J media, the law is to stop pirating and distributing not for people watching streaming stuff and Youtube.

People are taking this totally the worng way. You will not get nicked for watching Youtube. You also know what i mean by saying downloading.

If you are not stealing you have nothing to fear.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

People are taking this totally the worng way. You will not get nicked for watching Youtube. You also know what i mean by saying downloading.

I know what you mean, but technically it's the same thing. Who knows how the law will be used.

Also, I have a number of DVDs that I have legally bought over the years. I want to get rid of the space used and rip them to a hard disk. This also is illegal under the new law.

I have no problem with convicting pirates - people should pay for content. But this law takes away other freedoms.

I also believe that if somebody has no means of buying particular content - even though they want to, then downloading it harms nobody. Nobody was in a position to profit.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This news article should be moved to the crime section. It is a crime (and a shame) to take something civil and turn it into a crime the way these politicians are doing it. Jail time? WTH!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Why can't I post here that stating that "you'll get arrested for watching a YouTube clip or doing a Google search is gonna land you in jail for two years" is overreacting????

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Anyone know how this will be monitored? Will the ISP's be issuing warnings? Or will the Cyber Crime Division just be at your front door?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

JohhnyGlitterballJun. 25, 2012 - 11:19AM JST

This has been reported in J media, the law is to stop pirating and distributing not for people watching streaming stuff and Youtube.

Even the best intentions can have horrible consequences. As the law is written in conjunction with existing laws, the mere possession of the items can be sufficient to be thrown in jail. The Japanese media, if you didn't know, is owned by the same people that would benefit most from unjust laws. Of course they would leave out the juicy bits like the fact that suspicion would be enough for an arrest, or that it can be used to crack down on free speech and other legitimate issues.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

2020hindsightsJun. 25, 2012 - 11:47AM JST

I also believe that if somebody has no means of buying particular content - even though they want to, then downloading it harms nobody. Nobody was in a position to profit.

In fact, the laws in the US that the article talks about limits actual damages to the amount lost. Unfortunately, this is abused by the RIAA and MPAA by specifying each song download is $150000 regardless of if the song even sold that much (for CDs, even a 1 million copies sold disk will be worth less than $150000 a song, and weighted over the popularity of songs, some tracks may be worth much, much less).

If the Japanese Bar Association says it's a bad idea, you know that there is something wrong.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I am so thoroughly and utterly fed up and disgusted with the unfettered greed that characterizes media companies the world over. Top-heavy juggernauts, the fact that these talentless paper-pushing hacks could jockey into a position in life where they make fortunes off the creative ingenuity and industry of others is appalling.

I used to support, in principle, copyright laws. I have many friends who are in the business of creating the kind of media these laws are ostensibly designed to protect, and I have never felt it was right for their efforts to be disseminated without properly compensating them for it.

But what has been happening with copyright laws over the past decade or so is a matter of simple greed, with whatever formula media companies are using to calculate "estimated revenue loss" being the greatest single farce facing consumers the world over.

In '96, the film industry saw $5.59 billion in revenue from the sale of 1.27 billion tickets. In 2011, it hauled in $10.2 billion off 1.29 billion tickets. With but a 20,000-ticket difference in box-office sales, they made a boatload of cash. And they did it by selling roughly the same number of tickets, but for nearly twice the price they were in 1996.

It bears noting that tickets sales from the period of 1996 to 2011 hovered consistently in the 1.2 to 1.6-billion-tickets-sold range for the better part of two decades, regardless of advances in film making technologies, regardless of subject matter, and regardless of the presence of digital copies available for free on the Internet.

The lesson to be learned here? There is no vast untapped market for films hiding under the ravaging onslaught of digital piracy. The same loyal film-going core audience that was watching films in 1996 is the same loyal film-going core audience that pays to see them now. Sure, you might see someone stream a bit from an unauthorized site, or download the occasional so-called "pirated" film, but these are film lovers, and they inevitably hold out for the actual theater showing or buy it on high quality DVD or Blu-Ray at some point down the line. The point that the industry is missing here is that these people, despite ticket prices nearly doubling in 15 years, continue to go to the theater and continue to be the backbone of the film industry.

So any suggestions that digital copies on the Internet are somehow robbing the industry of revenue are fanciful wishes at best. The people who download this stuff, and the people who share this stuff are folks who likely never would have set foot in a theater, a CD store, or a bookstore and paid full price even before the advent of the digital age. And they sure as hell are not going to now with media companies essentially waging a war of attrition on anyone and everyone whose pockets and wallets they cannot stick their hands into legitimately. And that is just not right. In short, there is no potential revenue to be made from this sector of downloaders.

But I am not worried. For every "legal action" these clowns take, technology (ironically spurred by their own partners in the same digital revolution that allowed the industry to make astronomical profits off of DVD sales) will always stay one step ahead. Where there is a will, there is always a way. Particularly when the entity feeling shafted, in this case film and music industries, pretty much deserve being shafted on a grand scale.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

You got mine!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The law is not clear. If you use Utorrent to download from kickasstorrents, it uploads at the same time it downloads so you are not a leech. The downloads are much faster than an upload. So unless you fall asleep, you remove the files after your download is complete.

They want to get the massive uploaders, not the little people downloading 10 movies of crap quality a month.

Plus, using a VPN sure makes it a lot of work for them.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The bill says that a person who is aware that the the download or stream results in a copyright infringement can face charges. As a result, even watching a YouTube video could result in prosecution if the viewer is aware that streaming the media is illegal.

Umm. YEP! If you know the material shouldn't have been uploaded to the internet and you go and watch it anyway, you are participating in the illegal activity and should be prosecuted. By watching the upload you are creating a demand for MORE illegal uploads. You are legitimately an accomplice in the crime.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Yet another law I will enjoy breaking.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

whats a vpn?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Lowly:

It means Virtual Private Network.

Essentially you are hooked up to other computers around the world. The one I sue I pay for, so I can select where I want to hook up to and get a new IP address. Very convenient for watching TV from like US or Britain etc. Also quite handy if you are say using wifi outside your home like at the airport and want a secure connection for business or banking etc. Hackers cannot find you unless they are super good. Many more easier targets there using their computers so they won't waste their time.

Not sure if I am allowed to post the name of the VPN company I use. I will try to morrow morning, and I think JT will let it post.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wow, everybody start downloading everything you want before October! LOL..

This is what happens when we are seriously passing by the 21st century, the "Big Brother" is watching us.... This is scary and like many other comments before said: our freedom is slowly being taken away.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

US copyright law and the US Supreme court has held that an individual can make a copy of a work that he has purchased as a Video an the ruling would extend to DVD and Blu-Ray. This was part of the fair use provisions. However, the person is not allowed to distribute so lending a grey area. It is out and out illegal if you copy to distribute or when financial compensation is involved. So you can not show a movie and make money off of it. Later, Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) passed which made it illegal to bypass the the copy-protection. Then congress passed the Family Movie Act the allows to DVD owners to edit content such as offensive language and scenes. So it seems as it stands, you an take out things you don't like but can not copy it since you can not bypass the copy-protection. So today, what about iTunes? They are not copy protected. Also, once a movie is broadcast, you can copy that. It is still illegal to show a movie to a bunch of friends. So the controversy still goes on. BTW, Japanese programs not license in the US do not fall under US copyright.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

ka_chanJun. 26, 2012 - 05:35AM JST

Japanese programs not license in the US do not fall under US copyright.

Not true under international treaties. Any copyrighted work in one country is copyrighted everywhere. What happens is that Japanese companies would have to sue people in US court for US downloads. So, theoretically, if you VPN to the US and download, then transfer your already downloaded copy to your computer in Japan, you can only be legally charged in the US... Though any foreigner will be denied that right in Japanese court.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The Japanese Cyberpolice understands English and monitors sites like these for illegal activities. Posting how many dvds and songs you have illegally downloaded really isn't a smart thing to do. Just saying...

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

The Japanese Cyberpolice understands English and monitors sites like these for illegal activities. Posting how many dvds and songs you have illegally downloaded really isn't a smart thing to do. Just saying...

lol, yeah, right. They can't possibly go through everything posted on the Internet and even if they can it won't matter much.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Ever heard of doing a keyword search? lol, yeah, didn't think so.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

It's ridiculous that we can't do whatever that we want with something that WE BOUGHT AND OWN... and that includes sharing over the Internet. The copyright law is totally bogus.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Ever heard of doing a keyword search? lol, yeah, didn't think so.

So they're going to go through hundreds of thousands of search results? And what would they do with the information? They can't really do much about it.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The bill says that a person who is aware that the the download or stream results in a copyright infringement can face charges. As a result, even watching a YouTube video could result in prosecution if the viewer is aware that streaming the media is illegal.

How can the cops judge if a person is "aware" they are downloading something which is illegal? If the "suspect" maintains he or she "had no idea" it was illegal to download such content, how can anyone prove otherwise?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

j gal-

thank you. If you have any other info, or a recommended VPN, great. I have heard of proxies, (but don't know much about them) -is what you're talking about the same or different?

basroil-

So a vpn is not secure and can be monitored?

shouganakunai-

what is that? a segment from the actual law? or from a news article? At the beginngin it says

告訴しなければ罪に問われない。

Which means the copyright holder must file a claim for any investigation to begin/ crime to be recognized. Which sounds like the copyright holder (a movie co etc) would only be able to make claims against any (big, visible) uploaders that they found.

However the last half of what you quoted is quotes from various representatives in various parties (saying things like it would be illegal for said copyright holders to get any private info from providers, therefore filing a claim against a dnlder would be impossible, etc.). Which makes it sound like the whole thing isn't the actual law, but an article, i.e. someone's opinion. Like, will the cops/ gov be monitoring or not??

Any clarification would be welcome.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

clemens simon,

Yeah, well, we all just copy our cds and movies like paddy says and then throw them away/ they get damaged/ we forget where we put them/ we move and leave them at our parents' or friends' house, etc. Once in awhile we make a copy for a close friend who has given us a copy of their favorite disc, which is the same thing we did in the age of records and cassettes and mds right?

We're all ok.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

music industry needs to go back to analog if they want to stop or at least curtail piracy. Otherwise going digital when their business model is ruined by digital just makes it a lost cause. Like if steamship lines sued airlines passengers when they came out.

Artists no longer need recording labels or the middlemen with digital and online sales. Since most artists make more money on concert tours anyway, their business model only improves with digital versus the continuing slide of labels.

If I buy music but resell it for free this is effectively illegal even though the artist was paid. In a digital world, they lose all further sales. Since this ruins their business model the only solution to keep it is to not use digital. Otherwise the lawyers are not going to be able to keep up with innovations in cryptography, piracy and lawsuits. It's such a waste of resources

Internet examples are used but also it would seem if a radio station which paid a royalty for the song but I record the song would also be a form of piracy now.

The solution was to open it up more, not clamp it down. And certainly not legislate failed business models. This has to be reversed at some point

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

So they're going to go through hundreds of thousands of search results? And what would they do with the information? They can't really do much about it.

They really can and do, believe me. Especially with this mew law cominh into effect in October. The same way they have prevented people from carrying out premeditated crimes such as random killings and mass suicide posted on popular websites. Given that there are only a few (catering to Japanese and another handful catering to he foreign community) it really is not that difficult to pick up on chatter that includes certain keywords. The next step would be to acquire your IP address which will lead them straight to you.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

music industry needs to go back to analog if they want to stop or at least curtail piracy. Otherwise going digital when their business model is ruined by digital just makes it a lost cause

The music and movie industries are making record profits.

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111102/23363116605/warner-bros-right-after-announcing-record-profits-pleads-poverty-asking-people-to-support-grassroots-campaign-e-parasite-act.shtml

0 ( +0 / -0 )

sf2kJun. 26, 2012 - 07:49PM JST

If I buy music but resell it for free this is effectively illegal even though the artist was paid. In a digital world, they lose all further sales. Since this ruins their business model the only solution to keep it is to not use digital. Otherwise the lawyers are not going to be able to keep up with innovations in cryptography, piracy and lawsuits. It's such a waste of resources

What if you buy a song digitally and then sell it because you didn't like it, and then delete everything from that song after you sell it. How is that different than buying a CD and then selling that? How is that different than buying a car and then selling it? Problem with piracy is that RIAJ will keep changing it's definition until everything you purchase is not yours. It will be like software licenses, which are the biggest load of crap since whales came into existence.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Perhaps dimly aware that tough sanctions won't work – or maybe just greedy – some music groups want Japanese ISPs to install a system that they claim can spot unauthorized uploads even before they reach the Internet. As This from an article that gives more information on the real situation in Japan regards this new legislation:

TorrentFreak explains: Once a match is found, rightholders want ISPs to automatically block the allegedly infringing content. But according to one report, there may even be requests to send out warning letters to uploaders. If implemented this would amount to the most invasive "3 strikes" style regime anywhere in the world. To add insult to injury, ISPs are expected to pay for allowing the music industry to spy on their users 24 hours a day. Since that cost will inevitably be passed on, that means that customers will be forced to pay for the pleasure of undermining their own privacy, having their ability to upload legitimate material curtailed, and receiving unwarranted threatening letters. Sounds like the Japanese recording industry has been watching Terry Gilliam's "Brazil" too much. This latest call for total surveillance on top of probably the harshest laws passed yet against unauthorized downloads raises an important question: when the current measures fail -- as they surely will -- what will the copyright industries demand next in a further forlorn attempt to deter file sharing? Life imprisonment? Amputation of the mousing fingers?

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120625/03200019461/japan-criminalizes-unauthorized-downloads-making-dvd-backups-maybe-watching-youtube.shtml

1 ( +1 / -0 )

we have no choice because we live in a world where business is being prioritized than its citizen and besides japanese law makers are idiots they just copy laws from others isnt it also punishable by law to copy some bodys work that is plagiarism either in whole or in part , being so Japan is committing a pelony of plagiarism , stupid idiots, what will they do about those business establishement who sell blank cds and dvds they should prosecute them as well next thing they will do is charge us from the air that we breath.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

They should just make "using the internet" a death by hanging sentence.

Idiots.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

cant understand paying for cable these days; i:m used to on demand (legal or illegal), so can never again plan my schedule around the cable company. Hulu is a pretty good deal, 980yen a month, but I do wish they would update their content.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Hulu is a pretty good deal, 980yen a month, but I do wish they would update their content.

The problem is they have to wait for non-Japanese programs to be translated (for the dubbed and subtitled versions). That waiting is what instigates a lot of illegal downloading by foreigners in Japan.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

None of you ever played in a band? No? Well, try imagining having been in one. Try imagining having made a name for yourself. You've got fans, do concerts. After years of hard practice you are finally able to get a record deal and your CDs are on the shelves, and they're selling! Can you imagine that?! Wow, right! Right...

Then someone decides to upload your songs to the Internet (without your permission) and hundreds, thousands of people start downloading without paying a cent/yen. Needless to say, your CD sales drop together with your income.

Imagine that...

*sigh

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

The people who will be prosecuted are those downloading or watching on YouTube videos the government or certain big corporations find inconvenient. For months videos of the exploding reactors were being taken down of US Youtube for "copyright violation"

A random music video won't get someone arrested. The downloading or viewing of some unfortunate outing of a politician's bad behavior or corporate malfeasance will. Or this will be used as a fall back prosecution when nothing else will stick.

As for NHK's claim that the law doesn't leave people open for prosecution by things like viewing youtube, they provided no specific language in the law to prove that claim.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Billy

yeh the only reason I use Hulu is for the Jpnese subtitles for the missus. Havent quite worked out how to get subs displayed on the PS3 Media server
1 ( +1 / -0 )

Forgive me by being ignorant, but how exactly are they going to keep track of people who use P2P programs like Soulseek??

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Remember everyone that the Japanese police who will be upholding this law are lazy, inept and generally useless.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Then someone decides to upload your songs to the Internet (without your permission) and hundreds, thousands of people start downloading without paying a cent/yen. Needless to say, your CD sales drop together with your income.

Imagine that..

You can also imagine that if your music is deemed good enough for "hundreds, thousands of people" to start downloading your music "without paying a cent", there will also be hundreds of thousands paying a substantial amount of money to download your music. And the vast of majority of those who don't pay, would not pay anyway if they had to to download. You might also imagine that those who download without paying a "cent/yen" will spread the news about your music to those who will pay to download. .

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The people who will be prosecuted are those downloading or watching on YouTube videos the government or certain big corporations find inconvenient. For months videos of the exploding reactors were being taken down of US Youtube for "copyright violation"

As far as I'm concerned, if its on youtube, then theres absolutely no problem about watching, streaming or sharing the video content. If there are any problems with copyright, then thats googles problem; certainly not mine or any other viewers. Anyone who says differently is merely scaremongering.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Yes, but with a law like this it is easy to get scared cu z we don't know exactly what they will do or target, or how they will get information about you.

Are they going to see into my computer and see files from youtube that my computer automatically dnlded? or ask me to produce cds i've lost to match the mp3 files I have, or maybe a cd my friend made for me that was actually not his but a torrent? What about tv shows that aren't broadcast in jpn that I dnlded, I mean it's tv, right, why wrong to dnld?

But more than that it's the fact of being kept track of that gives everyone the shivers. No way to kno I guess, just wait and see.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yes, but with a law like this it is easy to get scared cu z we don't know exactly what they will do or target, or how they will get information about you.

Are they going to see into my computer and see files from youtube that my computer automatically dnlded? or ask me to produce cds i've lost to match the mp3 files I have, or maybe a cd my friend made for me that was actually not his but a torrent? What about tv shows that aren't broadcast in jpn that I dnlded, I mean it's tv, right, why wrong to dnld?

But more than that it's the fact of being kept track of that gives everyone the shivers. No way to kno I guess, just wait and see.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

This legislation has far greater implications than just illegal downloads. It has witch hunt written all over it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Im tired of kechi people. This law or whatever hasnt got me worried cause I havent a clue wheteher Id be legal or illegal, ignorance is bliss! But Im tired of kechi people who scrabble a minute piece of space on a little round foily looking thing! Im happy to pay for mine and if I wreck it, it is so much easier to just order another one. The whole industry seems to trip over itself, trying to outsmart or out price each other. Either that or constant competition on who is producing the next best gadget. there is so many new gadgets out there, Im over having the 'new' one..........WHen will people in this industry get over their komakai-phobia. You cant fit your house in your pc, or on a disc. So ask for the monies so you can then afford your own house to house your gadgets, and appliances. Then those same people may take an interest in what you have to offer.....Freeloading, make money off the full of nothing stocks, society is giving me the bejeebers.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

As a musician I can attest to the fact that downloading is theft. We are an indie band. We sold about 1,000 copies of our CD in Japan. Online on a single web site we lost 11,000 copies to downloads. A second site 8,000 and I can go on with a list a page or two long. So is downloading theft? Yes! Does it physically hurt people? Yes!

Nearly every musician I know today is having to give up professional music and move on to other work to pay the rent and bills. People who see hundreds of thousands of copies of their work flooding out for free. Artists who would be able to survive if people bought their music instead of stealing it.

Now, that said, I am also a civil rights oriented person and I believe this law has the risk of harming a lot of people who do not have ill intentions.

What is really needed is a radical change in copyright and content distribution. Remove regions, borders and barriers and let everything go everywhere at once. Regulate it in a manner that assures copyright protection and that artists and companies get paid. Hulu global, not local for TV all content from everywhere. Music sites with everything not just local releases. Force the industry to adapt to how people access content globally.

Make content cheap, easy to get and I believe most honest people will pay for an honest product. Driving up tax costs to enforce laws that are essentially doomed from day one will not help anyone.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

No sympathy for the music industry. If they couldn't figure out that digital killed their analog millions then digital will continue to do so, with laws or not. It was never about people, but characteristics of technology.

I expect that music will become a service and not a product, thus multiple requirements and legalesse to protect the unprotectable. However to continue to expect 100% sales is rather desperate. People share music all the time, that will always be the fatal flaw. Because of that, the digital version will always ruin their business model.

Congrats on the use of technology, but congrats as well for ignoring its obvious characteristics and then expecting it to change.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Online on a single web site we lost 11,000 copies to downloads.

You lost nothing! If your CDs are not available in stores, those people had no easy access to know who you are, sample your music, and then make the option of paying. Most if not all, would never pay for your music directly anyway. You are truly dreaming if you think those 11, 000 would have paid you a dime.

Nearly every musician I know today is having to give up professional music and move on to other work to pay the rent and bills.

Yeah, and not every wanna-be basketball player makes it to the NBA either. Most people have to work for a living, not PLAY for a living, much less, play and record some songs and collect royalties for life.

How about making your money by actually playing daily gigs, basically, working just like everybody else?

Make content cheap, easy to get and I believe most honest people will pay for an honest product.

There I agree, but there is one essential thing you are missing and that is security. I felt very secure buying CDs at shops and paying cash. I would not feel secure giving up a CC number online,and that is why I never have. I would love to have a system where I can place an order online, pay for the order at the convenience store in cash, then download it, all without ever having to register or any other crap.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Can you give us some GUIDELINES for more INFO in that new rules?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Well, the 1st of October is here, and I have no way of watching the new season of Dexter without streaming. It will be years before it is on skyperfect. Ill be watching the news to see if the law is used to the full extent of its possible power. To be honest this may well be the straw that broke the camel's back for me and Japan.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites