News Releases

June 9, 2015
Japanese Society for Rights of Authors,
Composers and Publishers
（JASRAC）

JASRAC Simultaneously Takes Legal Action against 258 Facilities Nationwide
(171 Business Operators) that Use Background Music

Today, JASRAC filed a petition for civil conciliation with summary courts nationwide against 258 facilities of 171 business operators across the country (such as beauty salons, barber shops, apparel stores, restaurants, etc.), which have not completed procedures for copyright clearance even though they are using background music (hereafter “BGM”).

This is the first time 15 regional offices of JASRAC, located throughout Japan, have simultaneously taken legal action. At first, when BGM management started in 2002, the majority of commercial facilities used professional BGM providers. BGM for business was used legally because entities that provided music sources such as the JAPAN BGM Association and the member companies of the National Cable Music Broadcasters Association took procedures for copyright clearance with JASRAC on behalf of commercial facilities they provide music to.

During the past several years, however, sound sources of BGM have increasingly diversified (such as CDs available on the market, portable music players, PCs, Internet radio, etc.). Such usages require each commercial facility to take procedures for copyright clearance, but there are many facilities which have not obtained a license yet.

JASRAC has continuously worked to manage BGM, but filed a petition for civil conciliation against those establishments that did not agree to take the necessary procedures despite its repeated notices. This year, JASRAC has designated June and July as “Background Music Procedures Promotion Months,” during which JASRAC will work with the Japan BGM Association and the National Cable Music Broadcasters Association to accelerate activities to urge shops and other facilities to use BGM legally.

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