JAPAN'S FOUR INTERNET PROVERS TEAM UP TO RUB OUT ILLEGAL DOWNLOADERS
Peter Olszewski
17 March 2008
Media Blab
Japan's four internet provider organisations have agreed to forcibly cut the internet connection of users found to repeatedly use Winny and other file-sharing programs to illegally copy gaming software and music.
The move aims to deal with the rise in illegal copying of music, gaming software and images that has resulted in huge infringements on the rights of copyright holders.
Cutting off the Internet connection of copyright violators has been considered before but never resorted to over fears the practice might involve violations of privacy rights and the freedom of use of telecommunications.
The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the internet provider organisations have, however, judged it possible to disconnect specific users or cancel provider contracts with them if they are identified as particularly flagrant transgressors in cooperation with copyright-related organisations, according to sources.
The four organisations include the Telecom Service Association and the Telecommunications Carriers Association. About 1,000 major and smaller domestic providers belong to the four associations, which means the measure would become the first counter-measure against
The number of users of file-sharing software such as Winny in the country is estimated to be about 1.75 million, with most of the files exchanged using the software believed to be illegal copies.
A brief six-hour survey by a copyright organisation monitoring the internet found about 3.55 million examples of illegally copied gaming software, worth about 9.5 billion yen at regular software prices, and 610,000 examples of illegally copied music files, worth 440 million yen, that could be freely downloaded into personal computers using such software, the sources said. In other words, this survey alone, uncovered damages amounting to 10 billion yen.
