BLOG#6 Download 'pirates' face jail under new Japanese law

 "Those who possess illegally downloaded of music or films in Japan can face prison term of up to two years and fines of nearly 2 million yen (U.S. $25,679), according to a new law which takes effect Monday." The reason for this is to decrease the illegal purchase of free downloaded music and or films. The new law is to help producers all over the world, to receive the money that they earned for writing a song or making a movie that people love and enjoy. "The Recording Industry Association of Japan says the download music market shrank 16% in 2011, the second consecutive year of decline. The slide comes despite global sales of digital music increasing 8% last year to $5.2 billion, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Globally, one in four internet users "regularly access unlicensed services," according to an IFPI/Nielsen survey." The Japanese music industry is trying to put a stop to this hoping to get the same results as South Korea. South Koreans made everyone who sold or provided computer send notices to users who illegally download music. China, is in a cram. China has a big population of internet users and only 1% of that population, just a small small portion of people, download music legally.
To analyse this article I would like to first note that many people know that downloading free music is a crime. However, they do not know to what extent. Illegal downloading is obviously serious. As you see in this advertisement, it is clearly not just an issue in Japan-and as we know it to be in the U.S-but it is sort of a global issue. South Korea took a step to eliminate, or at least decrease the number of people downloading free music, now Japan is trying to replicate that. The fact that people are not paying for the music that they download, they are taking away money, indirectly, from the music industry; from the people who are making and producing this music. What makes free download of music illegal? A person takes time out to write a song and produce a song then some one purchase the song then put it up for free downloads, this violates the legal rights of the copyright holder and is clearly equivalent to stealing. We as college students, or young people, or even older people may think its an innocent act when in reality it is a crime. A cime that Japan will soon abolish in the near future.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/01/business/japan-music-piracy/index.html?hpt=hp_t3