National Mar 13, 2019
The government on Wednesday decided not to submit to the Diet a bill that would make it illegal to download literary materials without the permission of copyright holders.
National Dec 10, 2018
Japan to extend copyright period on works including novels and paintings to 70 years on Dec. 30
The copyright period on works such as novels and paintings in Japan is set to be extended to 70 years after the authors' deaths, from the current 50 years, effective Dec. 30 when a revised copyright law goes into force. The copyright law was revised ...
National Apr 13, 2018
Japan calls for 'emergency measure' blocking access to websites that pirate manga and anime
by Shusuke Murai
A government report calls for taking an “emergency measure” to block access to websites that pirate anime and manga, including Mangamura, Anitube and Miomio.
Reference | EXPLAINER Apr 10, 2018
Internet piracy taking major bite out of Japan's famed manga culture
by Shusuke Murai
Japan's renowned manga culture is facing a crisis. The spread of smartphones and tablet computers allows people to read e-comics anywhere at any time. According to the Research Institute for Publications, annual sales of digital comics last year grew 17.2 percent from the previous year ...
Entertainment News Jun 21, 2017
Parenting expert sues Disney, says it stole 'Inside Out' idea
A parenting and child development specialist has sued Walt Disney Co and its Pixar unit, accusing them of stealing from her the concept for their 2015 blockbuster movie, "Inside Out." In a complaint filed on Monday in Los Angeles federal court, Denise Daniels said the ...
Entertainment News Jun 16, 2017
Pirate Bay's content treasure trove in peril after EU ruling
The Pirate Bay, one of the last surviving file-sharing websites, is in peril after judges at the European Union's top court warned that giving users free access to a trove of Hollywood movies, TV shows and music risks breaking the law. "Making available and managing ...
Business Jan 19, 2017
Paul McCartney sues Sony/ATV to reclaim rights to Beatles music
Former Beatle Paul McCartney sued Sony Corp.'s music publishing arm on Wednesday in a federal court in New York, seeking to get back the copyrights to music of his former band, court records show. Starting in October 2008, McCartney sent notices to Sony/ATV Music Publishing ...
How-tos | LIFELINES Mar 20, 2016
Patent and copyright laws can help you win redress when wronged
by Yuko Yamashita
A reader writes: I have a problem regarding misleading information on a home page, confusing labels and the use of my intellectual property rights on some products.
Business Dec 4, 2015
China will crack down on illegal reproduction of online news, the country's media watchdog said, days after an influential Chinese news magazine complained publicly about what it described as unauthorized republishing of its stories. China's government has long vowed to rein in intellectual property infringement, ...
Business / Tech Oct 23, 2014
Technology companies winning battle with 'patent trolls'
by Andrew Chung
For two decades, companies that buy software patents in order to sue technology giants have been the scourge of Silicon Valley. Reviled as "patent trolls," they have attacked everything from Google's online ads to Apple's iPhone features, sometimes winning hundreds of millions of dollars. But ...
National Aug 14, 2014
A local Chinese authority in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, has punished the operator of a spooky house for copyright violations involving Japanese amusement park Fuji-Q Highland in Yamanashi Prefecture, NHK reported Thursday. A fine of 275,100 yuan (¥4.5 million) has been slapped against the Chinese operator, ...
Business / Economy Apr 23, 2014
Japan's television program exports in the fiscal year ending in March 2013 totaled ¥10.43 billion, far less than South Korea's ¥18.63 billion, according to government data. Rights to broadcast Japanese TV programs brought in ¥6.22 billion, accounting for 60 percent of the export total. The ...