News Releases

October 29, 2013
Japanese Society for Rights of Authors,
Composers and Publishers
(JASRAC)

Injunction on acts of copyright infringement and claim of damages against owner of live venue

The Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) today filed an action on merits with the Yokohama District Court requesting prohibition of performances of JASRAC repertoire at the live music venue "Tutti (formerly known as Interplay)," and a claim of damages accrued from copyright infringement against the operator of this venue, located in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, which for an extended period of time repeatedly infringed copyrights in its live music performances.

The operator of the live music venue, concluded a license agreement for the use of copyright works with JASRAC in November 1999, but failed to make payments required by the agreement. Despite JASRAC’s continued demands for payment, the operator of the venue failed to remedy the arrears, and consequently JASRAC terminated the license agreement at the end of June 2012.

As the venue operator continued to use music without authorization, JASRAC filed a request for an order of provisional disposition for the prohibition of performances of JASRAC repertoire and the retention of the musical instruments by the court execution officer in August 2012.

The venue operator shut down "Interplay" at the end of 2012, but reopened the venue under the name of "Tutti" and continued to perform live music without authorization.

Most operators of venues that provide live music performances have concluded license agreements with JASRAC to use music legally, and for the sake of fairness, this incident cannot be ignored.

As described above, for the purpose of remedying the copyright infringement taking place at the venue in question, JASRAC has taken legal action.

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