It was revealed in a press conference Aug. 31, 2007, that a group of artists and right holders organizations in Japan will construct a Web site that will enable searches of copyright information on literature, photos and music via the Internet, targeting January 2009.
The group consists of total 17 cultural organizations (hereafter the group), including Japan Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) and the Japan Writer's Association.
The site is aimed at allowing anybody to easily search copyright-related information such as copyrigh terms and right holders, the council said. It, however, did not reveal figures including how many search targets the site can prepare by the time of its opening.
Currently, users have to overcome many hurdles before using copyrighted content. Imagine a person considering republishing a novel, but not knowing who holds the rights to the novel. If he or she cannot find the rights holder on his or her own, they can ask the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs to rule if the novel is available for reprint or not.
But the Agency for Cultural Affairs does not accept the application if the applicant is not considered as having made "appreciable efforts" by finding out the name of the company, which formally published the novel at least, for example. Even if the agency accepts the application and authorizes the novel's reprint, users would still be significantly burdened, including having to pay a deposit equivalent to standard royalties.
According to a plan the group announced this time, the 17 participant organizations will separately make a database of their members' works, right holders and copyright terms, and these databases will be made accessible from a single Web site.
It is also planned the site will work in conjunction with the "Japan Content Showcase" Web site, which Nippon Keidanren and content production and owner companies opened June 14, 2007, for search of entertainment content. The group is aiming at making the most of the existing database of about 3.5 million movie, musical and animation works in the Showcase.
The group is also planning to ask the National Diet Library and other institutes to provide data they have. Furthermore, the group is considering setting up an electronic bulletin board on copyright-related information on its Web site and promoting the exchange of information between users through the posting of messages such as; "I want to know who holds the rights to this work" and "I know who that is," for example.
The new Web site seems to be also aimed for other purposes than just increasing convenience for users. There is currently a movement for the extension of the posthumous protection term from 50 years to 70 years in Japan. The group has consistently insisted on the necessity of a copyright term extension. But there are objections to that opinion as well.
"I have received indications that it currently costs much to use works for which right holders are unknown," said Masahiro Mita, chairman of the group.
The council apparently believes that its web site will lower the cost in using copyrighted materials and that will benefit copyright term extension.
Moreover, the current burdensome ruling system "may give users pause in taking an official process and result in more infringement cases," Mita said. The group also appears to expect unauthorized use of copyrighted items to decrease by providing a range of copyright-related information via the site.
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