TOKYO, Feb. 14, 2019—By the time the dust from the 2020 Olympic Games frenzy settles over Tokyo, Japan’s Internet regulations could become more oppressive than China’s as the country is set to make it illegal to download all unauthorized content, not even a few lines of newspaper articles or photos to be used as memos for private purposes. The goal: further media control than the already suffocating condition.
On Feb. 13, 2019, a policy panel of the Agency of Cultural Affairs of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (http://www.mext.go.jp) released a draft policy report for amending the Copyright Law. The report, which was written by the panel’s judicial affairs subcommittee, said the ministry has been exploring revising the law to combat growing rights violations by piracy web sites.
The present law bans in principle unauthorized uploading of most copyrighted products, including videos, movies and music, as well as downloading of videos and movies, and music onto the internet for public consumption. The new amendment seeks to combat unauthorized distribution of all conceivable content including novels, magazines, photos, academic papers, and computer programs. The amendment makes it illegal for individual persons to download unauthorized downloading of animations, illustrations, photos in full or part, including onto individuals’ blogs and social networks. In other words, copy and paste or screen shot would be considered as downloading acts, and hence illegal.
Violations of the upcoming law amendment would be subject to fines and/or prison terms but details would be decided before the ministry submit legislation to amend the law to the current Diet (parliament) session, an official of the Office of Planning and Study of the ministry’s Copyright Division, told The Prospect in a telephone interview Feb. 13. The official refused to be identified under the division supervisor’s directives.
To date since uploading became illegal under the previous law amendment, the official confirmed there has been no criminal or civil charges against violations.
The Japan Society for Studies in Cartoons and Comics (https://www.jsscc.net/info/130533), a cartoonist lobby based in Kyoto, released a statement Jan. 23, 2019 condemning that the proposed amendment would have ‘very serious’ adverse impact on research and production of comics and cartoons. It said downloading news articles, graphics, still photos, and other materials in memo and clipping form has been practiced as necessary routines for years by individual artists.
Toshiaki Tateishi, a vice chairman of the Japan Internet Providers Association (https://www.jaipa.or.jp), told The Prospect Feb. 14 in a telephone interview that the upcoming law amendment would be a precursor to the internet site blocking policy by the Japanese government. If and when site blocking takes effect, ‘Japan’s internet freedom would become inferior to China’s,’ Tateishi said.
Tightly gagging the internet – and with it, controlling the media – is part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s aspirations, and this time, his lieutenants who had orchestrated the proposed wholesale downloading ban (known to be former trade minister Akira Amari, Abe’s top aide Hiroto Izumi, and chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga) jumped on the initiative, which was proffered by Chizuru Suga, wife of the former Kadokawa Dwango Corp. CEO Nobuo Kawakami and a former Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry official, sources told The Prospect. None of the parties cited above were available for comment to confirm or deny their involvement.
Despite the magnitude of the issue, Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers were kept off the loop, the sources said.
Last week, LDP secretary general Toshihiro Nikai complained to Abe about a dinner with executives of six LDP factions at the prime minister’s residence – without informing the event to Nikai.
It is presumed that the three Abe lieutenants wanted to submit legislation to amend the law expeditiously to the current Diet session before April, when many Japanese municipalities hold gubernatorial and other local elections, to be followed by an election of the House of Cou8ncilors of the Diet in June, to ensure the LDP’s victory and further prolong the Abe administration. Abe already has served as prime minister for six years, one of the longest serving leader of major countries, probably next only to Russia’s Vladimil Putin.
By Toshio Aritake