News
Man Arrested for Sharing Foreign Films on Nico Nico
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
A 35-year-old unemployed man named Masao Fukui from Kōchi City was arrested on Monday on suspicion of sharing foreign films on the Nico Nico Douga video streaming website without copyright holders' permission. According to an announcement from the Metropolitan Police Department, the suspect shared about 40 videos that he either rented from a video rental store or downloaded online. The announcement also noted that the subject admitted to the crime, saying "Compared to watching the movies alone, I wanted to watch the movies and share comments with everyone."
Also according to the announcement, the suspect allegedly shared the films Salt and Night and Day off his personal computer around 3:00 a.m. on December 9.
According to the police, this is the first time someone in the country has been arrested on suspicion of sharing films on a video site without the copyright holders' permission. In February, the Japan and International Motion Picture Copyright Association (JIMCA) consulted the Metropolitan Police Department, informing the police that there were users on the Nico Nico Douga website who had been streaming films illegally.
Sources: Sankei Sports, Yomiuri Shimbun, TBS
