News Releases

April 21, 2014
Japanese Society for Rights of Authors,
Composers and Publishers
(JASRAC)

Man selling unauthorized recordings (MIX-CDs) through
online shopping sites referred to prosecutors

On April 18, 2014, the Kumamoto Minami Police Department in Kumamoto Prefecture referred a 35-year-old man, residing in Iizuka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, to the Kumamoto District Public Prosecutors Office for alleged copyright infringement (distribution of unauthorized recordings). The man was selling MIX-CDs (*1), in which musical works administered by JASRAC were reproduced without authorization, through online shopping sites.

Working as a DJ in clubs in Fukuoka City and Kumamoto City, the man created MIX-CDs by reproducing more than 200 musical works administered by JASRAC without authorization, and sold the CDs in question through online shopping sites and other places, after promoting them in his own blog. JASRAC took legal action against him on February 10, 2014. This is the first time JASRAC has filed a lawsuit regarding illegal MIX-CDs.

According to the police investigation, it was found that the man sold 115 copies of unauthorized MIX-CDs through online shopping sites, and additional copies at clothing stores, between January 2012 and December 2013.

Reproducing copyrighted musical works contained in commercially available CDs and other sound recordings without authorization from right owners infringes not only the music copyrights, but also the neighboring rights of performers and record producers. Therefore, JASRAC will redouble its efforts to raise copyright awareness through public relations activities in cooperation with Anti-Illegal Recording Alliance (*2), with an aim to eradicate acts of copyright infringement involving unauthorized reproduction of musical works and distribution of unauthorized recordings.

(*1) : Originally produced CDs that include music taken from commercially available sound recordings, where the music is often altered; multiple musical works connected together, altered tempo, etc.).

(*2) : An alliance founded by music industry organizations who share a common position, with the aim of contributing to the eradication of illegal recordings, protection of intellectual property and development of music culture in Japan.

END