1. > Top Page
  2. > News Releases
  3. > 2014
  4. > Regional crackdown on copyright law violations in Kyushu, 5 persons arrested for illegally uploading JASRAC repertoire

News Releases

June 12, 2014
Japanese Society for Rights of Authors,
Composers and Publishers
(JASRAC)

Regional crackdown on copyright law violations in Kyushu,
5 persons arrested for illegally uploading JASRAC repertoire

The Kyushu Regional Police Bureau announced yesterday (June 11, 2014) that police departments in the region conducted a crackdown on violations of copyright law using file-sharing software in May 2014. 20 locations were searched, resulting in 9 arrests (specifically, 2 persons were arrested and 7 persons were referred to prosecutors as of 10 p.m. June 11, 2014).

Regarding copyright infringement using file-sharing software, the National Police Agency has already conducted a nationwide crackdown (as reported on March 3, 2014), and prefectural police departments have conducted their own enforcement activities. However, illegal uploading of musical works persists. That situation led police departments in the Kyushu area to conduct the first region-wide crackdown in Japan, with a view to prevent copyright infringements from occurring in the future.

Among these cases, JASRAC had taken legal action against 5 persons who illegally uploaded musical works administered by JASRAC to the Internet using file-sharing software “Cabos.” Currently JASRAC is also in the process of making arrangements for lawsuits against the other cases.

Among the above 5 persons, a 31-year-old man living in Fukuoka Prefecture was arrested on suspicion of copyright infringement by uploading to the Internet more than 1,000 music files containing JASRAC repertoire without authorization using “Cabos” during a period of roughly 6 years. Apart from this, a 48-year-old man (Saga Prefecture), a 28-year-old man (Kumamoto Prefecture), a 48-year-old man (Miyazaki Prefecture) and a 29-year-old man (Kagoshima Prefecture) were referred to the respective district public prosecutors offices for alleged copyright infringement by uploading musical works administered by JASRAC to the Internet without authorization using “Cabos.”

Aimed at taking preventive measures against copyright infringement abusing illegal file-sharing, “the Consortium against Copyright Infringement via File-Sharing Software (CCIF)” was established in cooperation with right holders’ organizations and Internet Service Providers’ organizations. Since 2010, CCIF has been sending out e-mails requesting users of file-sharing software “Winny” to delete illegal files. In 2011, CCIF added users of “Share” to the above e-mails list, and from April 2014 it started to send e-mails to users of “Gnutella”-type software (including “Cabos”) as well as users of “Bit Torrent”-type software. In particular, JASRAC has strengthened its activities to raise copyright awareness in users of “Gnutella”-type software with which relatively large volumes of music files have been distributed.

JASRAC will continue to collaborate closely with other parties to promote the legitimate use of music on the Internet.

End

For further information, please send your e-mails to:
JASRAC-International Relations Department: