Japan: New law could give pirates jailtime

Japanese legislators are looking to pass a new law that would make piracy a criminal offense with potential jail time.

Anyone convicted of making unauthorized copies of movies, games or other content or downloading the content could face two years in prison or a two million yen (about $25,400) fine.

More importantly, the law would affect anyone making copies of their own DVDs/Blu-rays to their hard drives or making copies to portable devices.

The new law is on the floor of the Upper House, being debated.

"Allowing illegal downloads to exist as they do now will harm the growth of the Internet," argued Lower House member Hakubun Shimomura, a strong supporter.

Member Takeshi Miyamoto took the opposite side: "The illegal flow of material is a problem, but rather than strengthening the penalties, we should bolster the deletion of illegally uploaded content."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 20 Jun 2012 20:35

Clam_Up

Pushing a button (or pedal) on a car can make it go much faster than the manufacturer recommends, and it can result in death or permanent injury to the operator or others. Yet the penalty is a few bucks per infraction.

Pushing a button on a computer makes it do exactly what the manufacturer intended, and results in no provable harm to anyone. Yet the penalty is forfeiture of freedom.

...go fig.

20.6.2012 20:49 #1

ZippyDSM

Sigh.... can you do it without the dictatorial oppression?

Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy!
Ah modern gaming its like modern film only the watering down of fiction and characters is replaced with shallow and watered down mechanics, gimmicks and shiny-er "people".
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/

20.6.2012 21:07 #2

Semperfipal

I don't know about Japan, but if that law went into effect here in the U.S., there isn't enough room in all the prisons to house these terrible criminals. In fact, I would suspect the government would have to invest hundred of millions, or possibly billions to build new prisons, and that's not going to happen as we are already at the edge of a financial cliff!

"Do not underestimate the power of an enemy, no matter how great or small, to rise against you another day." - Atilla

20.6.2012 22:16 #3

Red_Forman

Future generations will look back at this and ask: "Was mankind really THIS retarded?"

Making it a crime to make COPIES of something? Improving the world for the better?

No wonder they nailed Jesus to the cross. The rich really are in league with Satan.

I'll stick my foot up your ass.

21.6.2012 00:46 #4

Lethal_B

Would be intrigued to know how they're planning on catching people backing up BluRays on their mom's Compaq..

21.6.2012 04:21 #5

SuikoNiNjitZu

Most Likely a USA Meddling forced LAW on Japan
U.S.A. Say's : Do this This... This... or Else!
All Country's : Yes Master The Internet has only grown because of being able to do what Freedom Intended BOMB

Save Freedom Dont Elect Law Making Religion Nut Republicans

21.6.2012 14:40 #6

KillerBug

Originally posted by Semperfipal: I don't know about Japan, but if that law went into effect here in the U.S., there isn't enough room in all the prisons to house these terrible criminals. In fact, I would suspect the government would have to invest hundred of millions, or possibly billions to build new prisons, and that's not going to happen as we are already at the edge of a financial cliff! You obviously have no idea how the prison system works. The prisons are built and run by corporations for profit, overcrowded to the breaking point, and then more are built. As long as there are criminals, the government will spend the money to keep them from being productive citizens, and when there are not enough criminals to keep the system expanding they just make new laws or more strongly enforce pointless ones. The double bonus with that is that when you put someone in prison for selling a harmless plant, he comes out a thieving murderer, and you get to put him back inside a few months later...after he creates more justification for the flawed system that made him what he is. Of course, calling it flawed really isn't fair, it is working better than those who created it could have hoped...that's why we have such high crime and so many prisoners. More money for people too rich to spend what they already had, god bless America.

21.6.2012 14:50 #7

ZippyDSM

Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by Semperfipal: I don't know about Japan, but if that law went into effect here in the U.S., there isn't enough room in all the prisons to house these terrible criminals. In fact, I would suspect the government would have to invest hundred of millions, or possibly billions to build new prisons, and that's not going to happen as we are already at the edge of a financial cliff! You obviously have no idea how the prison system works. The prisons are built and run by corporations for profit, overcrowded to the breaking point, and then more are built. As long as there are criminals, the government will spend the money to keep them from being productive citizens, and when there are not enough criminals to keep the system expanding they just make new laws or more strongly enforce pointless ones. The double bonus with that is that when you put someone in prison for selling a harmless plant, he comes out a thieving murderer, and you get to put him back inside a few months later...after he creates more justification for the flawed system that made him what he is. Of course, calling it flawed really isn't fair, it is working better than those who created it could have hoped...that's why we have such high crime and so many prisoners. More money for people too rich to spend what they already had, god bless America.
Same as the entertainment media complex same as the military industrial complex same as the political entertainment media complex......

21.6.2012 15:04 #8

Bozobub

Well, yeah. Always HAS been like that, under oligarchs...

21.6.2012 16:36 #9

Semperfipal

Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by Semperfipal: I don't know about Japan, but if that law went into effect here in the U.S., there isn't enough room in all the prisons to house these terrible criminals. In fact, I would suspect the government would have to invest hundred of millions, or possibly billions to build new prisons, and that's not going to happen as we are already at the edge of a financial cliff! You obviously have no idea how the prison system works. The prisons are built and run by corporations for profit, overcrowded to the breaking point, and then more are built. As long as there are criminals, the government will spend the money to keep them from being productive citizens, and when there are not enough criminals to keep the system expanding they just make new laws or more strongly enforce pointless ones. The double bonus with that is that when you put someone in prison for selling a harmless plant, he comes out a thieving murderer, and you get to put him back inside a few months later...after he creates more justification for the flawed system that made him what he is. Of course, calling it flawed really isn't fair, it is working better than those who created it could have hoped...that's why we have such high crime and so many prisoners. More money for people too rich to spend what they already had, god bless America.
My post was suppose to be a metaphor. I guess my point went over your head. I was suggesting that so many people in the U.S. are copying copy protected media like DVD's and downloading pirated software/media that there is not enough room in prisons to house them all should a law like this be carried to the extreme here in the U.S. I don't appreciate the lecture whether I understand the prison system or not. Keep your tutoring skills to yourself.

"Do not underestimate the power of an enemy, no matter how great or small, to rise against you another day." - Atilla

21.6.2012 16:41 #10

ddp

be nice everybody!!!!!

21.6.2012 17:09 #11

Semperfipal

Originally posted by ddp: be nice everybody!!!!! Sorry, got carried away. My apologies!

"Do not underestimate the power of an enemy, no matter how great or small, to rise against you another day." - Atilla

21.6.2012 18:31 #12

KillerBug

Originally posted by Semperfipal: Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by Semperfipal: I don't know about Japan, but if that law went into effect here in the U.S., there isn't enough room in all the prisons to house these terrible criminals. In fact, I would suspect the government would have to invest hundred of millions, or possibly billions to build new prisons, and that's not going to happen as we are already at the edge of a financial cliff! You obviously have no idea how the prison system works. The prisons are built and run by corporations for profit, overcrowded to the breaking point, and then more are built. As long as there are criminals, the government will spend the money to keep them from being productive citizens, and when there are not enough criminals to keep the system expanding they just make new laws or more strongly enforce pointless ones. The double bonus with that is that when you put someone in prison for selling a harmless plant, he comes out a thieving murderer, and you get to put him back inside a few months later...after he creates more justification for the flawed system that made him what he is. Of course, calling it flawed really isn't fair, it is working better than those who created it could have hoped...that's why we have such high crime and so many prisoners. More money for people too rich to spend what they already had, god bless America.
My post was suppose to be a metaphor. I guess my point went over your head. I was suggesting that so many people in the U.S. are copying copy protected media like DVD's and downloading pirated software/media that there is not enough room in prisons to house them all should a law like this be carried to the extreme here in the U.S. I don't appreciate the lecture whether I understand the prison system or not. Keep your tutoring skills to yourself. You are correct, there is not enough room to house them all in the prisons...that was the point I was making, that there isn't even enough room to house those breaking existing laws, but that does not change the fact that people are still arrested for violating the most insane of these laws, nor does it prevent new pointless law from being put on the books. The only reason a law like this does not exist in the USA already is the difficulty in passing it; they could force it through against the will of the people, but there are far more terrible things they would rather spend their time on.

22.6.2012 08:02 #13

xboxdvl2

in the copyright notice at the start of a video or dvd it says you can be jailed for copyright.here in australia it does anyway

R.I.P. mr 1990 ford falcon.got myself a 1993 toyota corolla seems to run good.computers still going good.

22.6.2012 09:57 #14

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