Japan Planning Up to Two Years in Prison For Manga Pirates

upnorth

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Jul 27, 2015
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While downloading copyright-infringing movies and music is illegal in Japan, downloading static images such as manga is not. According to local reports, the Agency for Cultural Affairs intends to criminalize the practice, with jail sentences of up to two years and fines of two million yen (US$17, 729)

While uploading infringing content is generally considered illegal in many countries around the world, downloading and streaming can be different matters. Specifically outlawed in the EU, laws on streaming are less obvious in other regions due to a lack of clarification and relevant test cases. In some countries, downloading is often considered to sit in a legal gray area due to private copying exceptions and blank media levies. In Japan, there’s a significant loophole for some content. While downloading music and movies is illegal, Japan’s Copyright Act doesn’t offer the same protection for still images, meaning that photographs and the country’s treasured manga material can be obtained at will. However, according to Mainichi sources familiar with government planning, changes are already in the pipeline. The Agency for Cultural Affairs is reportedly mulling the criminalization of copyrighted image downloading, when the downloader knows that the content they’re obtaining is pirated.
 

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