Interest
WIPO Japan Launches Anti-Counterfeit Manga Contest
posted on by Gia Manry
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) office in Japan announced on August 2 that it is holding a "Real Manga Contest" ("Honmono Manga Contest") in conjunction with publisher Kadokawa Shoten. The contest requires applicants to create a manga designed to educate readers about the dangers of counterfeit goods; WIPO offers a document with stories of counterfeit pharmaceuticals and other materials.
The winner will receive a payment of 1.2 million yen (about US$14,000) and a six-month contract to publish with Kadokawa Group Publishing, during which time they will produce educational manga about counterfeiting. The resulting manga is slated to be translated into six languages, including English, French, and Chinese, and distributed for free worldwide.
On Tusday, the WIPO announced that manga creator Hajime Segawa, creator of the Kadokawa-published manga Ga-Rei, will act as the contest's judge. Applicants must be Japanese citizens over the age of 16 and living in the country. They can be either professionals or amateurs. Entries must be postmarked by October 15.
[Via LinkedIn]
