The End of the World as we know it

[Taro]

Piracy bill approved in lower house without discussion
Mainichi Japan---June 16, 2012
An amendment bill to the Copyright Law that could put people in prison for downloading pirated contents from the Internet was passed by the House of Representatives without any deliberations, causing an uproar from legal experts...
...Uploading pirated video and music online carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment in Japan. Downloading such content became illegal in 2010, but the illegality of such acts were judged minor, and violators have gone unpunished. The government's Council for Cultural Affairs' subdivision on copyright, moreover, has not made a decision on the institution of punitive measures for downloads...
...Under the bill, downloading video and music from the Internet with the knowledge that it is illegal would carry a prison sentence of two years or less, or a fine of 2 million yen or less. If the bill is passed in the current session of the Diet, it will go into effect on Oct. 1.
More...

[MARKed TRAIL]

...Uploading pirated video and music online carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment in Japan. Downloading such content became illegal in 2010...

She-e-e-it, I didn't even remember that it was illegal in Japan (since nobody seems to give a fcuk).

[chokonen888]

Wow, more insanity from Japan...I wonder how they plan to enforce it though? Fines are understandable but imprisonment?

[Gaspard de Coligny]

"with the knowledge that it is illegal "

ok... legal where ? wikileaks anyone ? What about the subscription based streaming site ? There is usually nearly no way to know their legality...

Another one of those al Capone laws... only used when they want to put someone in jail but are a bit short on good reasons...

[chokonen888]

"with the knowledge that it is illegal "

ok... legal where ? wikileaks anyone ? What about the subscription based streaming site ? There is usually nearly no way to know their legality...

Another one of those al Capone laws... only used when they want to put someone in jail but are a bit short on good reasons...

So when you getting those offshore servers setup?

[Taro]

Proposed Japanese Law Could Throw Downloaders in Jail
Wired Online | June 19, 2012
...Unauthorized downloads of copyrighted material and creating backup copies of a DVD or Blu-ray disc could soon carry criminal penalties in Japan if proposed amendments to the nation’s copyright code become law.
Violators could spend up to two years in prison or pay as much as two million yen (about $25,400) in fines, CNET Japan said last week...
<big snip>
...Downloading copyrighted material such as music, movies, or video games is already illegal in Japan thanks to a 2009 amendment to the law. However, that ban carries little weight due to a lack of penalties.
The situation is similar to the 2009 ban of “majikon” devices that allow users to play copied software on a Nintendo DS game machine. Without any punitive requirements, the devices remained widely available on street corners in Japanese electronic districts as well as on the web.
It was only after a 2011 amendment to that law that an arrest was made: A 39-year-old man accused of selling majikon on the internet was arrested at the end of May. He allegedly sold the devices to three people between February 14 and March 9 of this year for a combined 7,200 yen ($91), according to the Aichi Prefectural Police Department, as reported by IT Media.
While the anti-download measure is an enhancement of existing prohibitions, a ban on copying or ripping discs to a hard drive would be brand new for Japan. The proposed would outlaw any software program or device that allowed users to circumvent encoded copyright protection on the disc, as well as the act of copying of said disc.
Media that does not include copy protection, such as most compact discs, would not be included in the ban.
Should these new amendments pass into law, it would be illegal in Japan to make any copies of any movies or games, illegal to upload the data, illegal to download the data, illegal to sell copies of the data and well as illegal to sell a device that enables playback of the copied data. All of these actions would carry stiff penalties.

stopillegal.jpeg (136.99 KiB) Viewed 1090 times

[Jack]

My vpn service gives me about 15mbs, will have to start to turn it on more.

[Gaspard de Coligny]

Proposed Japanese Law Could Throw Downloaders in Jail
Wired Online | June 19, 2012
...Unauthorized downloads of copyrighted material and creating backup copies of a DVD or Blu-ray disc could soon carry criminal penalties in Japan if proposed amendments to the nation’s copyright code become law.
Violators could spend up to two years in prison or pay as much as two million yen (about $25,400) in fines, CNET Japan said last week...
<big snip>
...Downloading copyrighted material such as music, movies, or video games is already illegal in Japan thanks to a 2009 amendment to the law. However, that ban carries little weight due to a lack of penalties.
The situation is similar to the 2009 ban of “majikon” devices that allow users to play copied software on a Nintendo DS game machine. Without any punitive requirements, the devices remained widely available on street corners in Japanese electronic districts as well as on the web.
It was only after a 2011 amendment to that law that an arrest was made: A 39-year-old man accused of selling majikon on the internet was arrested at the end of May. He allegedly sold the devices to three people between February 14 and March 9 of this year for a combined 7,200 yen ($91), according to the Aichi Prefectural Police Department, as reported by IT Media.
While the anti-download measure is an enhancement of existing prohibitions, a ban on copying or ripping discs to a hard drive would be brand new for Japan. The proposed would outlaw any software program or device that allowed users to circumvent encoded copyright protection on the disc, as well as the act of copying of said disc.
Media that does not include copy protection, such as most compact discs, would not be included in the ban.
Should these new amendments pass into law, it would be illegal in Japan to make any copies of any movies or games, illegal to upload the data, illegal to download the data, illegal to sell copies of the data and well as illegal to sell a device that enables playback of the copied data. All of these actions would carry stiff penalties.

stopillegal.jpeg

That would render ripping a cd to an IPod illegal... making custom audio CD for oneself illegal... and on and on...

They are stupid enough to make it a law...

After all... when a country production of tangible goods start to dwindul the only thing remaining to milk is intellectual property bullshits...

[chokonen888]

That would render ripping a cd to an IPod illegal... making custom audio CD for oneself illegal... and on and on...

They are stupid enough to make it a law...

Nope....

Media that does not include copy protection, such as most compact discs, would not be included in the ban.

But agree here...

After all... when a country production of tangible goods start to dwindul the only thing remaining to milk is intellectual property bullshits...

...just wondering how they plan on catching people downloading such content. TIJ so who knows what kind of invasive BS to expect.

[Gaspard de Coligny]

That would render ripping a cd to an IPod illegal... making custom audio CD for oneself illegal... and on and on...

They are stupid enough to make it a law...

Nope....

Media that does not include copy protection, such as most compact discs, would not be included in the ban.

But agree here...

After all... when a country production of tangible goods start to dwindul the only thing remaining to milk is intellectual property bullshits...

...just wondering how they plan on catching people downloading such content. TIJ so who knows what kind of invasive BS to expect.

Winny users...

Maybe one day they will hear aboot bittorent, but I won't bet on this...

[chokonen888]

That would render ripping a cd to an IPod illegal... making custom audio CD for oneself illegal... and on and on...

They are stupid enough to make it a law...

Nope....

Media that does not include copy protection, such as most compact discs, would not be included in the ban.

But agree here...

After all... when a country production of tangible goods start to dwindul the only thing remaining to milk is intellectual property bullshits...

...just wondering how they plan on catching people downloading such content. TIJ so who knows what kind of invasive BS to expect.

Winny users...

Maybe one day they will hear aboot bittorent, but I won't bet on this...

That or Cabos or any of the other Japaneeeeze setups....but will they really go that far? Will they start going through ISP's records to see how much each customer is D/Ling each month?

[Hanzo the Razor]

I've always wondered what the law is regarding streaming copyrighted content. There are tons of sites where one can stream the latest episodes of TV shows including ones that are only available on premium channels like HBO. I've never heard of any government or company going after users for streaming though.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

I got into BitTorrenting a lot about 3-4 years ago, but stopped after my ISP threatened to remove my access.
I felt terribly guilty for not paying 1,200 yen for a movie ticket and depriving a movie company CEO of part of his $50 million salary.

[IparryU]

I got into BitTorrenting a lot about 3-4 years ago, but stopped after my ISP threatened to remove my access.
I felt terribly guilty for not paying 1,200 yen for a movie ticket and depriving a movie company CEO of part of his $50 million salary.

I dont feel guilty for that either...

I still dl fights... but Dana White aint too happy about that.

[chokonen888]

I've always wondered what the law is regarding streaming copyrighted content. There are tons of sites where one can stream the latest episodes of TV shows including ones that are only available on premium channels like HBO. I've never heard of any government or company going after users for streaming though.

That's the ultimate solution if the J-gov really cracks down...streaming from overseas data storage, cloud computing, etc.

They can snake your PC and search for illegally D/Led data but if none of it is stored there, would be difficult to build a case against you. (even in Japan)

[Hugh Jørgen]

Music industry wins a battle as antidownloading bill gets some teeth

A bill aimed at penalizing Internet users for downloading pirated music and video files passed the Diet on Wednesday, despite criticism from some Internet personalities and legal experts that the move is hasty and too harsh.

The revision to the Copyright Law cleared the Education, Culture and Science Committee of the House of Councilors on Wednesday morning and was then approved by a 221-12 vote in an Upper House plenary session that afternoon. The bill makes downloading of such pirated content punishable by a maximum of two years in prison and/or a fine of up to ¥2 million. A 2010 revision to the same law made the downloading of such contents illegal, but avoided assigning penalties.

The uploading of pirated music and video content has long been illegal and carries a maximum 10 years in prison or a fine of up to ¥10 million.

The bill was originally submitted by the education ministry earlier this year, but it did not include provisions on penalties. A group of lawmakers from the opposition Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito then proposed inserting the penalty clause by submitting an amendment to the bill. The revised bill cleared the House of Representatives and was sent to the House of Councilors on Friday. The penalty clause will go into effect on Oct. 1.

The nation's music industry has long lobbied for tougher action on piracy, saying the acts have cost copyright holders a fortune. The Recording Industry Association of Japan estimates 4.36 billion pirated music files were downloaded in 2010, amounting to ¥668.3 billion in lost revenue for the industry.

In the Upper House committee meeting on Tuesday, however, DPJ member Yuko Mori said it's difficult for ordinary users to tell which files are illegal and that the bill's vague wording of punishing "those who are aware (of the illegality of downloading)" could lead to arbitrary prosecution. "We shouldn't risk making the general public — including youths — the subject of criminal investigations," she said...

You've seen the $8 billion iPod?

[Jack]

I prefer to use direct downloads using one of the many megaupload like sites combined with a good VPN service and you're pretty good to go, cost is about $200 a year which is nothing compared to Skyperfect, which I also have. Would get rid of it but the wife doesn't speak English so we need it for the subtitles.

If you get one of those warnings from the copyright people it goes to the VPN and they give you one warning till your account is suspended, in which case you have to open a new account.

[midwinter]

Just another reason to fight the man. Shit, between everything I download from BT, to Hulu, to Xbox Live and PSN, if I stopped now it might very collapse the internet.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[cstaylor]

Wow, more insanity from Japan...I wonder how they plan to enforce it though? Fines are understandable but imprisonment?

Mismanage a nuclear power plant: golden parachute
Download GoT: go to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200
TIJ
(sorry, couldn't make this a proper haiku)

[Taro]

Japan Could Outlaw YouTube
The Daily Dot (mashable.com | 2012/06/21)
... 2010 revision to the Copyright Law already made downloading pirated content illegal, but this is the first time penalties have been assigned. The new provision will go into effect Oct. 1.
In an interview with ITmedia {in Japanese}, Japanese attorney Toshimitsu Dan noted that the revisions now forbid ripping and copying of copy-protected and encoded materials, selling software and hardware that circumvents copyright protection laws and intentionally downloading illegally uploaded materials.
It’s the first stipulation that should cause the greatest concern among Japanese citizens. While the actual outlawing of illegal downloads isn’t such a big deal — YouTube policy forbids downloading more than two MP4 files every hour -- the file sharing site’s intricacies may have a dramatic effect on Japan’s ability to tune in.
Every time you watch a video on YouTube, your computer stores a temporary download file in the browser cache on your hard drive. These files are inconsequential under United States law, but the files could be construed as official downloads in Japan, leaving even the most YouTube-law abiding citizens subject to prosecution.