back to article Japan hides anti-piracy warning on P2P networks

The Japanese government has complemented its already robust digital copyright laws with the unusual practice of hiding warning notices disguised as pirated content on popular domestic peer-to-peer networks. The “copyright awareness” files contain a strongly-worded message designed to scare, shame and deter the reader into …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It would be nice if The Registers Japan Man(TM). could actually translate from Japanese sources opposed to taking articles on other sites and rewriting them like GCSE coursework.... Phil apparently has no experience in the IT industry but you would have thought he could have picked up some Japanese while "teaching English" in Japan.

    1. Ole Juul

      You mean that the article's reference to "illegal copyright infringement" is not intended to suggest that "legal" copyright infringement would be the alternative?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Linux

      Japan - the only country that has been...

      Occupied by the American military non stop since WW2.....

      And when the people in Japan elected a government to throw the Americans and their bases out on their arses, they Americans crushed that political party and threw the leaders in gaol.....\

      This guy talks about it here.

      Tariq Ali, Ann Mossop

      Published 19 October 2010 | Festival of Dangerous Ideas

      What We Can Learn From Terrorists

      http://www.abc.net.au/tv/bigideas/stories/2010/10/19/3041128.htm

      The USA - and the MPAA etc., are nothing more than movers of the US based global propoganda machine.

      Here is how these thieves do their Hollywood Accounting....

      This is how they do their sums....

      Rob Reid: The $8 billion iPod

      http://www.ted.com/talks/rob_reid_the_8_billion_ipod.html

  2. LaeMing
    Megaphone

    While I have no problem with this,

    it needs to be balanced with a way to 'scare, shame and deter BIG MEDIA into abandoning their anti-social ways" too.

  3. Winkypop Silver badge
    Stop

    "Please stop immediately."

    That'll learn 'em!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "Please stop immediately."

      Yes but after a few downloads I'm sure people will get wise to it and leave comments like 'do not download this fake'

      1. Elmer Phud

        Re: "Please stop immediately."

        I thought fake files were soooo last century (or are the music companies still at it?)

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: "Please stop immediately."

          fake files would have few seeders...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      FM

      "That'll learn 'em!"

      Sounds like school didn't "learn" you anything.

      1. You're my wife now Dave
        Joke

        Re: FM

        I think the original poster was being ironicle

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    As someone who uses Share and PD...

    Awww, since you asked so nicely.

    ...No.

  5. graeme leggett Silver badge

    One culture where it might work?

    Shame and fear of embarrassment is effective in the Japanese culture if I recall rightly.

    Witness the recent palaver over a member (Minami Minegishi, age 20) of AKB48 - public displays of abject contrition on a par with sackcloth and ashes following the exposure that she might actually nearly have done some of the things the group sing about.

    All this in a group so large the members could form up as football teams and play several rounds of a knockout competition (88 members if wikipedia is to be believed).

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: One culture where it might work?

      >Witness the recent palaver over a member (Minami Minegishi, age 20) of AKB48

      That isn't really a reflection of any "Japanese culture" thing.. she's an idol and it's in her contract not to have a boyfriend or at least not get caught with one. Putting aside whether such a contract is acceptable or not ... I guess the reason she went insanely over the top with her apology is because she didn't want to get kicked out of AKB48 and lose all of the various TV spots she has because of that...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: One culture where it might work?

      Your example of Minami Miniegishi of AKB48 is not an example of shame and embarrassment but more an example of the immoral stranglehold that 'manufacturers of j-pop' have over their 'stars'. Her contrition was directly related to the fact that she had been demoted to the b-team and was at risk of losing money and fame.

      Personally I think that the 'fans' are mentally deranged but then a lot of Japanese affectations seem mentally deranged ... then again most of the screaming Beatles fans in the 60's could have done with having a stay in a mental institute.

      if piracy could eliminate this kind of music then it will have done something good and I find it ironic that the most pirated music is always the worst kind of talentless trash ... Beyonce, Rhianna and Spears have headed the lists far too often.

  6. Richard Jones 1
    Happy

    How About A Really Polite One

    The Junkies who make some of the stuff on this site need to buy their next fix. Please buy their material rather than downloading from here and making them go cold turkey.

  7. Amorous Cowherder

    Drop in the ocean

    I'm sure it might work with the casual user who dabbles but most of the hardcore know how it works and know how the game is played and when the odds of being caught are so minute, this seems more like a token effort to fulfill obligations to the media corps on educating the masses.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Windows

    Pah..

    A few years in the slammer...Didn't i read about some chap who recieved a 15 year atretch for filming cinematic releases in his local picture house and then uploaded em for the world and its dog to enjoy......

    Suddenly, japan's law doesn't seem quite so threatening...

    Just as farcical though.....

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "which is known to be available for sale"

    That is a very nice exception there, and I thank them for it.

    Since they know the title of the content they are spoofing, and are suggesting that it is available for sale, they could be even more helpful by including a pointer to a source. "She" only downloads content she doesn't find to buy, but she doesn't know how to search for paid sources beyond Amazon and iTunes.

    1. Crisp

      Re: "which is known to be available for sale"

      That's the kind of little loophole that would have made Game of Thrones legal to download.

    2. npupp 1
      WTF?

      Re: "which is known to be available for sale"

      One could argue if the Big Boys Stores (Amazon, iTunes) don't sell it, then it's not available to buy... (but that is indeed a gross simplification, possibly won't hold up in court, unless one is willing to plead under the pretext of utter stupidity). Known by who and where is the main crux of this (2nd hand ebay betamax copies counts as "available for sale"? iTunes, but not readily available for <average consumer / your mum> on <insert cheaper generic/open device here>? )

      Regardless, if it's not a major title you're less likely to be caught. I'd hazard a guess the "spoofed content" will be for 0day / cinema releases, or anything in the charts.

      Also, if memory (and the fokelore of French netizens) is to be trusted, a similar caveat exists in France: If it's not available to buy, it's fair game to download (where available to buy *may* mean available to buy in French language / localised version).

  10. JaitcH
    Thumb Down

    To the 'Honourable' Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications

    あなたのお尻アップ!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: To the 'Honourable' Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications

      グーグルで翻訳したら?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: To the 'Honourable' Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications

      That doesn't make any sense. In fact I think most of the old timers enjoy buggery. Though he will understand this: シネ!

  11. Pascal Monett Silver badge
    Devil

    A slight correction is required

    "Operation Decoy File, which was dreamt up by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in conjunction with RIAA and Madonna (c), will run until the middle of this month."

    There, fixed it for you.

  12. The FunkeyGibbon
    Happy

    While I doubt it's effectiveness

    I have to say that I rather like the idea. It's not going to stop mass pirates but if it discourages even the casual downloader then that's something. Just because it's not a panacea doesn't mean that it's not worth doing. It's not like it's costing them a lot to do it.

    Also this:

    That new legislation was enough to earn the ire of Anonymous, which launched its low orbit ION cannons at various government and political party web sites in retaliation.

    They are *very* tiresome now aren't they? Like spoilt children who think that it's okay to sulk when somebody has the temerity to tell them it's not okay to steal...

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Sorry, but 10 years for uploading?

    That's way to harsh. Talk about out of proportion.

  14. Benjamin 4

    I really don't get these laws. 10 years imprisonment while these people who get small fines for kidnapping and or rape. The world really needs to reassess what we punish people for.

  15. MrRtd

    HA!

    Like anyone pays attention or cares about these warnings. This is not unlike those damn warnings at the beginning of DVDs that every on and ignores.

    When will the entertainment industry realise that the best way of fighting 'piracy' (such a misuse of the term) is to implement cheap and easy ways of distribution that is available at the same time for all global markets.

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