Wednesday

Japanese To Enforce Tough New Copyright Protections

Japanese Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama has recently decided in favor of the Japanese artistic copyright group, JASRAC (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers), which has pushed for an extension on “posthumous” copyright protection.  

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The protections, which are on any composition written, composed, published, or distributed from within Japan, have been increased from a range of fifty to seventy years. The recent decision matches almost all other international standards, and brings Japan front in center in the war against those wishing to illegally distribute music from Japan.
JASRAC was founded in 1939, as the largest musical non-profit copyright association in Japan. It’s made headlines in recent years, with news such as demanding the popular video service YouTube to remove over 30,000 videos which featured songs or clips from copyrighted works of Sony Japan, Avex Japan, Pony Canyon, JVC, Warner Japan, Toy’s Factory, and Universal Japan.
JASRAC has even taken ballroom dance schools to court in the past, for using copyrighted Japanese songs in it’s classrooms, where it actually won a settlement of 50 million yen. The group had stated that “it hopes the ruling will serve as a warning to other schools not to use such music without first gaining permission to do so.
The latest news, will only further broaden JASRAC’s reach around the globe as Japan is a key figure amongst international groups such as the United Nations, and JASRAC then can impose it’s will onto future copyright and standards events.
During a 70th Anniversary party for JASRAC, the Japanese Prime Minister stated that he was fulling backing the plans which had been brought forth by JASRAC, and other copyright organizations along with music industry affiliates within Japan.
Prime Minister Hatoyama stated that it was only fitting for the extension of the copyright act to be set for 70 years, as it’s the 70th anniversary of the organization. He went on to state that his political party, the Democratic Party of Japan intends to dedicate itself to fully revising and reforming copyright laws within it’s nation.
Various industry and copyright groups, such as the Recording Industry Association of Japan, the Music Publishers Association of Japan, and JASRAC as well have been lobbying the government since mid 2006 for the finalized extension to occur.
Earlier this year, JASRAC and the other copyright firms in a joint operation, created the Copyright Data Clearinghouse (CDC) of Japan, in order to reduce the financial cost for a license application and to set up an international database of protected Japanese musical art.
JASRAC will remain infamous for going after any company, business, web site, or radio station which uses Japanese music without permission, and can be considered the equivalent of the USA’s RIAA. They have their hands deep into the Japanese government’s pockets, and intend to fully use that to their advantage.
JASRAC is also one of the first groups to pursue mobile phone ringtones, and copyright them. It is a firm which represent a nearly trillion yen per year industry, and obviously has the capital to pursue any individual it deems in violation of it’s protections. Expect to hear more in recent months from this political and industry powerhouse, as they push for global copyright reform.