

Japan to criminalize DVD ripping and breaking DRM even for personal use - MikeW
http://www.asahi.com/national/update/1203/TKY201012030697.html

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MikeW
I haven't been able to find any English language reporting of the proposed
update to their copyright law yet but Google translate has done a terrific job
at it!

[http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ja&tl=en&u=...](http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ja&tl=en&u=http://www.asahi.com/national/update/1203/TKY201012030697.html)

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aaronbrethorst
> Japan on March 3, sources said.

That is some terrific reporting, right there.

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patio11
The Japanese actually reads "The Agency for Cultural Affairs announced the
change in policy on [December] 3rd."

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patio11
"複製行為については罰則は設けない。"

Translation: [The proposed modification to the law] does not establish
criminal penalties for unauthorized copying.

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yason
I never really get laws that have no penalties. The lack of penalties merely
reduces to a disagreement, and a disagreement as such doesn't equal any
substance in a society. With criminal penalties a law would raise the stakes
for everyone, including the law makers.

(Of course, the DVD/DRM case is probably about making it illegal _first_ ,
much easier that way, and adding the penalties later, also much easier that
way, in that "hey, this is already illegal!")

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patio11
Japan, like many other countries including the United States, makes a
distinction between _criminal_ and civil infractions. If you suspect someone
is violating your reproduction rights, Japan will allow you the use of the
court system to enforce those rights, but will not use physical force on your
behalf to compel compliance from the other party.

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jbermudes
Interestingly enough, apparently ignorance of the law has been a big enough
argument that this amendment is adding a section basically saying "if you know
that it's illegal then you have no excuse", to which Japanese game developers
are now adding of FBI warning-esque messages like those seen in American
videorecordings: [http://kotaku.com/5705055/this-new-warning-screen-means-
hand...](http://kotaku.com/5705055/this-new-warning-screen-means-handcuffs)

~~~
jrockway
Won't the warez community just get rid of that warning?

Also, I think it's funny that they are aiming the message at a demographic
that can't read kanji but _can_ decipher complex legalese.

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satoimo
Tsutaya is not going to be happy. Considering how their shops always have
piles of writable DVDs next to the cashiers, they obviously thrive on ripping.

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maeon3
First you make a law but don't enforce it. Nobody fights it off. Then when it
is established, it starts getting enforced. If you want to steal away human
rights (right to make copies of data that you own), you can't just do it all
at once, you have to move slowly.

