News Releases

March 9, 2016
Japanese Society for Rights of Authors,
Composers and Publishers
（JASRAC）

Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Refers a Juvenile to Prosecutors for Uploading Animation Video Files to Storage Services

On March 8, the Living Economic Section, Community Safety Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the Tama Central Police Station referred a 19-year-old juvenile residing in Sendai City to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office on a charge of alleged copyright infringement (violation of public transmission rights). The juvenile is suspected of making animation video files available to the public on the Internet using overseas storage services.

JASRAC filed a complaint against him of the said violation on February 9, since many of the uploaded animation video files contained copyright works administered by JASRAC.

According to the police investigation, the juvenile placed on his website a link to a site where the animation video files were stored to induce downloads.

Storage services provide high capacity file storage space on the Internet to facilitate the uploading and downloading of files using web browsers or smart phone applications. Some services offer a feature that makes the files available to an unspecified large number of people.

JASRAC will continue to issue cautions and warnings against illegal music distribution over the Internet and will seek to raise copyright awareness through public relations activities to promote the legitimate use of music.

End