Anime Bloggers could be Shafted from using Anime Pictures to a large extent; Japan Considers Fair-Use Clause Based on U.S. Copyright Law
The Japanese government’s group in charge of copyright reform is proposing the addition of fair-use clauses similar to those found in the United States Copyright Law. The current Japanese Copyright Law requires permission from the copyright holders for any kind of copying or use, except for personal, library, or academic purposes. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda’s Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters proposes to expand these exceptions by considering other factors, including whether the copying or use is intended for non-commercial purposes and whether they influence the market or value of the original work.
Win. At least something positive is coming out of Copyright reform somewhere on the planet.
These factors roughly match two of the factors that are listed in the United States Copyright Law. The other two factors are “the nature of the copyrighted work” and “the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole.” The Japanese copyright law already allows limited quotations for “news reporting, criticism or research.”
Fair enough, we wouldn’t want restrictions on stuff like that, it’s about time they are more relaxed about it.
The tentative proposal is intended to support new companies that require such use without the permission of the original copyright holders. However, the Asahi Shimbun paper points out that the proposal has ramifications for other uses that are currently unauthorized but are largely ignored and unprosecuted. Those possible scenarios include personal blog posts with images of copyrighted anime characters and parody works.
Source: Asahi Shimbun/ANN
Hold the blogging…. no Images of Copyrighted Anime Characters and Parody Works!?
Oh dear, that’s not good in any way or form for the innumerable amount of Anime Bloggers out there – not to mention ourselves.
Surely this would effect the ‘Fandom’ of Anime altogether?? The Number of Animes that have launched into the eyes of the normal-anime-viewer from the quiet is surely enough evidence that this wouldn’t do any favors for Anime Producers/Animators at all – less DVD Sales.
Please don’t do anything to harsh, Japan, we only like the works your country produces!
~ Senseito Sakura
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that would really suck i think bloggers should be able to post anime pictures it is only promoting the anime that they post images of