crime

Gunma man arrested after uploading Studio Ghibli’s 'The Wind Rises'

16 Comments
By Philip Kendall

A man from Gunma Prefecture is facing legal action on the grounds of copyright infringement after uploading Studio Ghibli’s 2013 animated film "Kaze Tachinu" (The Wind Rises) to a public website in July and November last year, the Yomiuri Online reports. When questioned, the accused individual remarked that he uploaded the film “to be popular”, proving once again that crime, especially the dumb kind, does not pay.

Hideaki Yamaoka, 34, uploaded the film to FC2, which along with being a popular blogging host is Japan’s third-most popular video site after YouTube and Niconico Douga, potentially allowing the site’s millions of visitors to enjoy Ghibli’s new film from the comfort of their home long before its release on DVD and Blu-ray.

Japan’s sharing and copyright laws received a major shake-up in 2012, though a year after the government promised to crack down on those illegally sharing or uploading copyrighted material, not a single person was known to have been prosecuted as a result.

When questioned about the charges, Yamaoka reportedly said that he “wanted to be popular” and that “it felt good to be looked upon favorably by others [for sharing the film]“.

Source: Yomiuri Onlne

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16 Comments
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No more! does a rubbery camera hewn man dance

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I went to see "Kaze Tachinu" in theaters while in Tokyo last year on vacation. The ticket price was around 2,000 yen.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Does anyone know when the actual release of it is going to be? I missed it in theaters and have been wanting to see it. The fact that the studios take so long in releasing their products set themselves up for this form of piracy.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

So this is the Studio's Fault? The sense of entitlement from some people...seriously it won't kill people to have a little patience.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Japan’s sharing and copyright laws received a major shake-up in 2012, though a year after the government promised to crack down on those illegally sharing or uploading copyrighted material, not a single person was known to have been prosecuted as a result.

This is not really correct - it's always been illegal to upload movies and music and in the days of Winny, etc, many people were arrested and prosecuted.

In 2012 the law was changed so that downloading could also be prosecuted, but as of yet nobody has been charged with downloading.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Sounds like internet censorship, poor guy.. How I am supposed to torrent that movie now??

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

Trying to stop illegal files, uploading music and films, particular into the future, will be like trying to catch water with a net.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Wait! Nobody has been arrested for downloading either? I heard that an Australian was arrested for downloading and threw himself in from of the train.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Tokiyo I'm not saying that it is their fault, but in today's digital age piracy is an inevitability. There will obviously be more demand for something illegally if it hasn't been released legally yet. Just look at how many foreigners in Japan resort to torrenting Hollywood movies because their theatrical/dvd release dates are often delayed upwards of half a year. The longer they wait in releasing it the more people will look for other means to view it, which can in turn take from their profits.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Twenty-seven people were arrested last year, but I never saw any news of what happened to them afterwards: http://torrentfreak.com/japanese-police-arrest-27-file-sharers-in-nationwide-show-of-force-130228/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Are people supporting this on the take?

What is the difference between this and borrowing a book from the library?

It would be different if these people were making a profit through downloading, but they aren't.

These movie people could be making money by charging to download like you would pay to go to a theater, but they aren't. What is stopping them? They make their bed. Let them sleep in it. No one should be facing legal action because of some perceived right to be greedy and stingy at the same time. These movie people making these decisions and lobbying for these laws are not hurting financially. They are rich beyond measure. It makes no sense to allow them to squash little people they set up by withholding their movies for months in their nation of origin while showing them overseas!

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

But downloaders were not arrested? just uploaders?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Just 'to be popular'. Theft is theft, and theft to provide the same opportunity to others is worse. But, hey, he's popular now! In a dumb-as* way, of course.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Theft is theft

This isn't theft. Where there is theft, someone loses a thing they have, not a thing they "might" have had. This is copyright infringement. And to me, that they had to dream up new laws just because of new mediums is something that should give us all pause. So should the fact that these laws come from the sellers and is definitely not a call from the public or even a disinterested third party.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

When questioned about the charges, Yamaoka reportedly said that he “wanted to be popular” and that “it felt good to be looked upon favorably by others [for sharing the film]“.

Nutbag.....

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Did Yamaoka wake up one day and thought, "Chinese style piracy is so much the 'thing' right now."

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

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