AfterDawn: News

Japanese mobile operators to monitor for piracy?

Japanese mobile operators may be forced into packet inspection on their mobile networks to identify and cut off pirates. A user who was found to be sharing infringing files over the mobile network would be warned about the activity and then disconnected if it persisted, or alternatively their phone could be rendered unable to play music.

In Japan, handsets are branded, supplied and managed by the network operators themselves. Every year, about 330 million tracks are sold legally and delivered over-the-air in Japan. It is estimated that as many as 400 million tracks are shared illegally each year.



The prospect of cutting off repeat offenders is expected to be discussed next week by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) and the Telecommunications Carriers Association.

Representatives of the Internal Affairs ministry will reportedly also be present. Japan just recently had a much-publicized change of government, and observers will be wondering if the new administration's need to make friends in the industry will influence a decision in favor of the motion.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 8 Sep 2009 0:31

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• 10 comments

• lubricant

  excellent. and the reason why is this project will be able to be recorded as showing the amount of profitably vs. free sharing of songs. if they both cannot exist together, then the profit margins should change drastically. if not, then let the companies take it as a lesson that many refine their tastes through downloads, then proceed to purchase during that time.
  sorry japanese guys, dont let society crumble cause they piss you off.
  who manufactures cell phones in japan? i know probably a lot, but thats beside the question.

  8.9.2009 00:45 #1

• DXR88

  yeah right, American telecoms have been logging calls for years on both networks. the RIAJ probably lobbied this with JDA.

  8.9.2009 01:32 #2

• lubricant

  Originally posted by DXR88: yeah right, American telecoms have been logging calls for years on both networks. the RIAJ probably lobbied this with JDA.but what if its not a call? tech, not telephony cuz like a lot of cellphones have wifi modes and stuff.
  
  what does dja stand for?

  8.9.2009 01:48 #3

• DXR88

  Japanese defense agency, U.S. DOD equivalent

  8.9.2009 02:00 #4

• lubricant

  Originally posted by DXR88: Japanese defense agency, U.S. DOD equivalentwhy would their defense ministry care about file-sharers?

  8.9.2009 02:13 #5

• NamelessN

  Quote:Originally posted by DXR88: Japanese defense agency, U.S. DOD equivalentwhy would their defense ministry care about file-sharers?You must have missed the RIAA's memo that file-sharers are a threat to national (international?) security, and that only terrorists pirate music.[/sarcasm]

  8.9.2009 02:42 #6

• ivymike

  That must mean that 80% of young children, teenagers and young adults
  are terrorists.
  
  Didn't think so.

  8.9.2009 03:52 #7

• Mez

  They live in a land run by Sony. The government will take the stance they are terrorists because Sony tells them so.

  8.9.2009 09:45 #8

• DXR88

  Quote:Originally posted by DXR88: Japanese defense agency, U.S. DOD equivalentwhy would their defense ministry care about file-sharers?more than likely they don't it just gives them an incentive to start monitoring call information.

  8.9.2009 12:03 #9

• joe777

  Ah japan, home to the most used OS in the whole wide world. Can anyone tell me the name of it? Ok for ten points.

  8.9.2009 17:00 #10