AfterDawn: News

Japanese man arrested for pre-release upload of 'Wanted'

Kazushi Hirata of Kyoto, Japan has been charged with copyright infringement after he was arrested for illegally uploading the blockbuster movie "Wanted" with Japanese subtitles to the P2P file sharing application Winny.

The arrest of a "pre-release uploader" was the first of its kind in the country and Mr. Hirata faces a $100,000 USD equivalent fine and up to 10 years in prison if convicted.



The film was released in June in the US, but was released in Japan just yesterday. An R5 (Russian retail DVD) release of the film has been available for months, but it obviously did not include Japanese subtitles which Mr. Hirata added himself before releasing on Winny.

The authorities were alerted to Mr. Hirata by the Japan and Intl. Motion Picture Copyright Assn. (Jimca). The group says that pre-release uploads are becoming a major problem and that "this year, Jimca has identified more than 30 movie files that have been uploaded to Winny before their Japan release dates."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 20 Sep 2008 15:12

• Previous article

• EA increases activations for 'Spore' owners

• Next article

• Spanish court rules its legal to share P2P download links

• 13 comments

• limelight

  A simple solution to fix this is to just release it worldwide the same day. People obviously want to see it, why make em wait?

  20.9.2008 15:43 #1

• windsong

  Hmm..I wonder if you can "take the 5th" in Japan? Or is it like Spain/Italy where they work you over a bit while in the interrogation room?

  20.9.2008 15:53 #2

• mike.m

  So he takes a pirated movie that's been floating on the internet for months, adds subtitles, uploades it, and now he could get up to 10 years, and the other guy who uploaded months ago gets away for free? 10 years is way too harsh, even $100k, unless he made money off it I can see, but still 10 Years of his life? for what a stupid little movie? Convicted murders and rapers sometimes get out earlier than that and don't have to pay a cent to the victims families. This guy is going to have to pay $100k to a multi-million dollar company? I'm sorry but the law is just crooked and messed up.

  20.9.2008 18:54 #3

• beanos66

  convicted murderers and Rapists dont have politicians tongues down the back of their trousers, whereas media moguls with money to burn...

  20.9.2008 19:07 #4

• JRude

  Region Coding is another name for price fixxin'...but don't expect The Industry Suits to be held accountable. They get 0 fines...they get 0 time to serve for their shenanigans. Probably get a bonus every time some poor citizen gets hauled in.

  21.9.2008 00:06 #5

• 1bonehead

  The love (lust for) money is the root of all evil.
  
  
  Just tell the suits that
  

  The BPI Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
  The RIAA Soundexchange Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
  The IFPI Are: The same anti consumer lot as listed above!
  The MPAA Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, FOX.

  21.9.2008 01:17 #6

• NexGen76

  Are you serious they just getting wanted....?

  21.9.2008 07:20 #7

• DoomLight

  I wonder if they would of slapped the Shackles on that guy if he released the schitty movie "Far Cry" from Uwe Boll in Japan early? hmmmm prolly not.
  
  I dont notice this. but im pretty sure no ones cares here in America when someone releases a Japanese Movie on P2P or Torrents. you pretty much never hear of any on-going investigation into the Pre-release of "Mushi-shi" the live action movie being distributed online for free.
  
  come on. get a grip people. i'd say 95% of people still pay to see a movie in the theater.

  21.9.2008 10:25 #8

• lynchGOP

  The first statement was, is and should be the ONLY solution. Stop releasing separately throughout the world. They may have their reasons for doing so, and I'm sure it's money-motivated but they are illegit reasons that almost seem to be put in place for the sole purpose of entrapping people and then busting them.

  21.9.2008 10:47 #9

• susieqbbb

  I have to agree if the motion picture association would just release it the same day as everyone else this wouldn't happen.
  
  And did you listen no japanese subtitles so what if he added his own subtitles how com the fine is 100,000 USD when most fines here in the u.s are 50.000 or less wow i am sure glad i don't live in japan.

  21.9.2008 11:49 #10

• Mez

  I am VERY impressed! Winny is one of those ultra secure networks. I quess that is why he felt secure breaking the Japanise pirate law. This just goes to show the anomous networks can be cracked when ever. I really don't know much about Winny other than it is based on freenet.

  23.9.2008 09:19 #11

• hermes_vb

  So now I get it. It's not uploading the movie what gets you in trouble. It's those damn subtitles that are up to no good...LOL.

  27.9.2008 00:06 #12

• 1bonehead

  Originally posted by beanos66: convicted murderers and Rapists dont have politicians tongues down the back of their trousers, whereas media moguls with money to burn...
  
  Hard to argue with
  

  The BPI Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
  The RIAA Soundexchange Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
  The IFPI Are: The same anti consumer lot as listed above!
  The MPAA Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, FOX.

  27.9.2008 03:41 #13