Man referred to prosecutors for leaking 3D map of Japan to China

is this really a crime? Is all that data not already available online? These days they have maps of everything online. Why would this even be considered a threat?

I’m quite sure Google earth would have sufficed.

is this really a crime? Is all that data not already available online?

Using your logic, wouldn't it make sense that the data he provided isn't online, due to the fact that there would be nothing to arrest him for otherwise?

I’m quite sure Google earth would have sufficed.

If that were the case, then what would be the motivation both to do the crime, and for China to buy the info?

I’m quite sure Google earth would have sufficed.

And why couldn't a marketing firm have used Google earth too?

But it seems absurd that Japan has secrets that it will sell cheaply for marketing purposes, yet doesn't want to fall into Chinese hands. If this information was so secret, then it shouldn't have sold it to the public.

The data in question is quite more accurate than Google provides and is used for targeting systems that the military can employ.

Yes, it is a major crime to trade such data.

Nothing like a bootlegged movie

If such a Map was so sensitive, why was NTT allowed to create and sell it ?

is this really a crime? Is all that data not already available online? These days they have maps of everything online. Why would this even be considered a threat?

Whatever maps you ordinarily find online will always have sensitive areas ( like military installations etc ) blotched ,corrupted or omitted for obvious reasons.

Another example why Japan's geographic relationships makes its stringent immigrations policies perfectly sensibly but apparently not tight enough in this case.

Death penalty in China for similar act.

It's not clear what law has been broken here. The contract prohibited sale of the data to third parties, but if the man gave the data away this clause might not apply.

If the data is so sensitive why is NTT selling it to anyone with money?

It's not clear what law has been broken here.

The article says that the data was sold under a contract that prohibits its sale to a third party. So if he accepted money for transferring the data to the Chinese, he's guilty of breach of contract (at the very least).

RobAug. 10  05:38 pm JST

The data in question is quite more accurate than Google provides and is used for targeting systems that the military can employ.

I'm sure it is more accurate, but Google Maps isn't bad, so the question is whether the extra precision would make a real difference to the accuracy of the attacking missiles.