Japanese would be experiencing a new rubbish from the coming October. Japanese police is monitoring the file sharing networks so that they can raid the innocent people who are downloading videos instead of watching them online. Yes, in accordance to this law you can stream videos online but you are not free to save those digital copies locally. Other than this you can save comic strips from other websites and cut, copy and paste all text because schooled idiots from Agency for Cultural Affairs has interpreted ‘DOWNLOAD’ as audio-video recording.
Actually downoad is the process of copying data but Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs thinks that download is just audiovisual recording.
They say that TV shows which are already been broadcast and yet not available in the market may be downloaded.
A Japanese Lawyer writes:
Many people remain unclear about what is exactly banned under the law.
For checking that the content is safe for download this agency asks Internet users to look for a recording industry trademark called the L Mark which cannot be used by just anyone because if you need to use this mark then you have to join Recording Industry Association of Japan and pay money to them. They don’t say a word for Creative Common and GPL. However if you got the audiovisual content legally then you are free to share it with your friends by mailing them because mailing and download are two different words where download looks a bit pirate type.
